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Brown Shrikes in Laos Were Most Often Found in Semi-Open Agricultural Mosaics

Brown shrike perched above green vegetation
Research · Ecology

A 2026 study of brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) habitat use during the non-breeding season found the species most often in semi-open agricultural mosaics in Laos. Researchers analysed 139 field-detected occurrence sites and compared them with 139 randomly selected background points.

Three landscape variables were most strongly associated with the records. Brown shrike occurrence increased with road area, while built-up land and forest cover showed negative relationships with occurrence. The birds were especially associated with landscapes that combined open foraging space with structural elements that could be used as perches.

The researchers describe the study as the first fine-scale assessment of non-breeding habitat associations for brown shrikes in mainland Southeast Asia. Their results suggest that human-modified landscapes can still provide suitable non-breeding habitat when semi-open structure and perching opportunities remain.

Sources and image credit

  1. Goławski, A., Mitrus, C., Obłoza, P., Xayyasith, S., & Kasprzykowski, Z. (2026). Habitat associations of the Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus Linnaeus, 1758) during the non-breeding period in human-modified landscapes of Southeast Asia. Folia Biologica, 74(1), 11–20.Primary peer-reviewed article, issued 24 April 2026. The study compared 139 brown shrike occurrence sites in Laos with an equal number of background points. Road area was positively associated with occurrence, while built-up area and forest cover were negatively associated.

Image: UdayKiran28 — brown shrike in Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, India, 27 November 2022. Representative species photograph; cropped to 16:9. Source: Wikimedia Commons. · CC0 1.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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