The most common type of shrike that is found in our state is Brown Shrike. The shrikes are carnivorous and they are also known as ‘butcher birds’ due to their eating habits. Usually they kill more than they can consume and thus have acquired such name!

My first encounter with this species happened at Chetla Forest when I visited that birding hotspot for the very first day. I heard a call which sounded like ‘chhr-rrrr-rrrr’, from a nearby bush. That was new to me and thus I approached towards it. I could still heard the call in regular interval, but couldn’t not see anything, because it was so dark despite of a bright morning! It was clear to me that there is a habitat! So, I waited patiently and after a minute or so the shrike came out to sit on a nearby thin branch and gave me only few seconds to capture some decent shots.

কসাই পাখি/কাজল পাখি

Both males and females look similar.

Resident of West Bengal.

• Like to make their nests in bushes.
• Being carnivorous, their foods include small insects, lizards, frogs, grasshoppers etc.
• Usually they are found alone. Till now, I’ve never seen a pair!

From my experience, I can say shrikes are not ‘urban’ birds like crows or sparrows or common mynas or bulbuls. I’ve always found them in some forested areas with bushes such as:

• Chetla Forest (canal)
• Rabindra Sarovar Lake (RS lake)
• Chintamani Kar Bard Sanctuary (CKBS)
• Jodhpur Park (Lake)
• Santragachi Jheel
• Rajarhat Wetlands
• Baruipur Wetlands