The Lesser Grey Shrike hunts large beetles and other insects in open farmland and grassland. It migrates from European breeding areas to southern Africa.
Adults have a gray crown and back, black wings and tail, a black mask extending over the bill, and a conspicuous white patch at the base of the wings.
Researchers recorded 238 observations of Lesser Grey Shrikes in Crimea, measuring the distance between bird and person when the bird took flight. They compared it with the distance at which an approach began, its direction, rural or suburban setting, and perch height.
Flight initiation distance was significantly associated with starting distance, but not with approach direction, habitat type, or perch height. The authors also note that the widely used 30 m minimum starting distance may be insufficient for rural populations, even among small passerines. They describe the Crimean population as having low flexibility in its response to people, discuss conservation implications, and introduce the species as declining.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
In 238 observations of Lesser Grey Shrikes in Crimea, flight initiation distance was linked to the starting distance of a human approach, but not to approach direction, habitat type, or perch height. The authors note that a widely used 30 m minimum starting distance may be insufficient for rural populations.