NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Long-tailed Shrike
Lanius schach Linnaeus, 1758
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The long-tailed shrike or rufous-backed shrike (Lanius schach) is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes. They are found widely distributed across Asia and there are variations in plumage across the range. The species ranges across much of Asia, both on the mainland and the eastern archipelagos. The eastern or Himalayan subspecies, L. s. tricolor, is sometimes called the black-headed shrike. Although there are considerable differences in plumage among the subspecies, they all have a long and narrow black tail, have a black mask and forehead, rufous rump and flanks and a small white patch on the shoulder. It is considered to form a superspecies with the grey-backed shrike (Lanius tephronotus) which breeds on the Tibetan Plateau.
Wikipedia contributors, Long-tailed shrike; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:14:28.172731+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Lanius schach Linnaeus, 1758
- Name authority
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Common name
- Long-tailed Shrike
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Laniidae
- Genus
- Lanius
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyLaniidae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusLanius Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesLanius schach Linnaeus, 1758
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Lanius. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Southern FiscalLanius collaris Linnaeus, 1766 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Red-backed ShrikeLanius collurio Linnaeus, 1758 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Grey-backed FiscalLanius excubitoroides Prévost & des Murs, 1847 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Northern FiscalLanius humeralis Stanley, 1814 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mackinnon's ShrikeLanius mackinnoni Sharpe, 1891 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Iberian Grey ShrikeLanius meridionalis Temminck, 1820 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lesser Grey ShrikeLanius minor J. F. Gmelin, 1788 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Woodchat ShrikeLanius senator Linnaeus, 1758 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Souza's ShrikeLanius souzae Barboza du Bocage, 1878 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chinese Grey ShrikeLanius sphenocercus Cabanis, 1873 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mountain ShrikeLanius validirostris Ogilvie-Grant, 1894 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Giant Grey ShrikeLanius giganteus Przevalski, 1887 | LaniidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China)
Southern Asia
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Linnaeus, & Carolus. (1758). Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, Cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis, 10th Edition, Vol. 1. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3S7C5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.