Red-backed Shrike

SCI Name:  Lanius collurio
Protonym:  Lanius collurio Syst.Nat.ed.10 p.94
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Laniidae / Lanius
Taxonomy Code:  rebshr1
Type Locality:  Europe, restricted to Sweden, Hartert, 1910, Vog. pal. Fauna, 1, p. 439.
Author:  Linnaeus
Publish Year:  1758
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

LANIUS
(Laniidae; Ϯ Great Grey Shrike L. excubitor) L. lanius  butcher  < laniare  to tear to pieces. The shrikes were formerly known as ‘butcher-birds,’ from their habit of storing prey by impaling it on thorns and sharp twigs, giving the resemblance to a butcher’s shambles or slaughterhouse (Mod. L. Lanius (Ray 1713) shrike, butcher-bird); “I reject the compound-name of Butcher-Bird, and retain the old English name of Shrike, from the noise” (Pennant 1773). In nomenclature lanius is used in a variety of combinations for birds with stout, hooked or toothed bills or with the general appearance of a shrike; "43. LANIUS.  Rostrum rectiusculum, dente utrinque versus apicem, basi nudum.  Lingua lacera." (Linnaeus 1758); "Lanius Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 1, p. 93. Type, by subsequent designation, Lanius excubitor Linnaeus (Swainson, 1824, Zool. Journ., 1 (1825), p. 294)." (Rand in Peters 1960, IX, 342). This is the fourth diagnosed genus in avian taxonomy. Linnaeus's Lanius comprised ten species (L. cristatus, L. Excubitor, L. Collurio, L. Tyrannus, L. Carnifex, L. Schach, L. Senator, L. cærulescens, L. jocosus, L. Garrulus).   
Var. Lanii, Larius.   
Synon. Caudolanius, Cephalophoneus, Collurio, Creurgus, Enneoctonus, Fiscus, Lanioides, Leucometopon, Neolanius, Neofiscus, Otomela, Phoneus.

lanius
L. lanius  butcher  < laniare  to tear to pieces.

collurio
Gr. κολλυριων kolluriōn thrush-sized bird mentioned by Aristotle and Hesychius, not further identified, but later conjectured to be a shrike (Belon 1555) or a Fieldfare Turdus pilaris (Turner 1544).
● ex “Pie Piegrièche” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 60 (syn. Cissopis leveriana).
● ex “Lanius tertius” of Willughby 1676, “Lesser Butcher-Bird” of Ray 1713, “Lanius medius” of Frisch 1733-1743, and “Ampelis dorso griseo, macula ad oculos longitudinali” of Linnaeus 1746 (Lanius).

Collurio
Gr. κολλυριων kolluriōn  thrush-sized bird mentioned by Aristotle and Hesychius, not further identified, but in ornithology considered to be a shrike.
• (Thraupidae; syn. Cissopis † Magpie Tanager C. leveriana) "Sous-famille. [P]OLYPHIA. Les Polyphes.  Bec à plusieurs échancrures ou dentés.   G.1. Phytotoma L.   2. Nucifraga R.   3. Collurio R." (Rafinesque 1815, Analyse de la Nature, 67); probably based on Corvus collurio Daudin, 1800, ex “Pie Piegrièche” of Levaillant 1800, pl. 60 (= syn. Cissopis leveriana).
• (Laniidae; syn. Lanius † Red-backed Shrike L. collurio) Specific name Lanius collurio Linnaeus, 1758; "15. Lanius collurio.   ...   15. Dorndreher. Collurio. (Lanius collurio.)  Entw[ickelung]. Alle Formen werden größer; der Schnabel erhält einen starken Zahn, den keilförmigen Schwanz und das vielfarbige Gefieder von Budytes.   Char[akter]. Kleine vielfarbige Würger, deren Weibchen ein von dem der Männchen verschiedenes Kleid tragen.   Leb[ensart]. Sie lieben Dorngesträuche zum Nisten, spießen ihre Beute an Dornen an, und haben Gesang." (Kaup 1829); "Collurio Kaup, 1829, Skizz. Entwick.-Gesch. Naturliches System Europ. Thierwelt, p. 40.  Type, by monotypy and tautonymy, Lanius collurio Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).
Var. Collums, Collyrio, Colluris.
• (Laniidae; syn. Lanius † Great Grey Shrike L. excubitor)  "COLLURIO.  Rostrum pedesque ut in genere Lanio.  ... Cauda elongata, gradata.  Typus genericus, Lanius Excubitor, Linn." (Vigors 1831); "Collurio Vigors, 1831, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 42 (not of Kaup, 1829).  Type, by original designation, Lanius excubitor Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).
• (Laniidae; syn. Lanius † Long-tailed Shrike L. schach) "Subgenus 3. COLLURIO, Bp.  Asiatici.   15. L. SHAH [sic], L. (L. chinensis, Gr.)   ...   16. COLLURIO ERYTHRONOTUS, Vig. (Lanius superciliosus, Sw. nec Lath. — jounotus, Hodgs.)   ...   17. LANIUS CANICEPS, Blyth (erythronotus, Jerdon nec Gould)   ...   18. L. PYRRHONOTUS, Vieill. (macrourus, Cuv. Mus. Par.)   ...   19. L. BENTET, Horsf. (L. suchii? Aliquorum)   ...   20. COLLURIO TEPHRONOTUS, Vig. (Lanius nepalensis et obscurior? Hodgs. — L. tephronotus, Blyth.)   ...   21. C. NIGRICEPS, Franklin (Lanius tricolor, Hodgs.1837. — pileatus? Temm. — nasutus? Scopoli. — antiguanus? Lath. — nigriceps, Gr.)   ...   22. L. CEPHALOMELUS, Bp.   ...   23. LANIUS VITTATUS, Dumont.  ...  hardwicki, Gr. — margaritaceus? Less.)   ...   24. LANIUS HYPOLEUCOS, Blyth." (Bonaparte 1853); "Collurio Bonaparte, 1853, Rev. Mag. Zool., sér. 2, V, p. 434 (not of Kaup, 1829, nor of Vigors, 1831).  Type, by subsequent designation (G. Gray, 1855, Cat. Genera Subgenera Birds Brit. Mus., p. 59), Lanius schad [sic], Linn., i.e. Lanius schach Linnaeus, 1758." (JAJ 2021).