On the occurrence and diet of a migrating Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) in Slovakia

Abstract

Occurrence and food composition on migration stopover is described in the regionally extinct breeding bird, the Woodchat Shrike in Slovakia. All vagrant birds in the last 20 years were observed in May in agricultural landscape, similarly to most vagrants of the species observed elsewhere in Central Europe. In the food of the individual bird at the migration stopover in western Slovakia there were found mainly the field crickets (Gryllus campestris; 31%) and carabids of the genus Pterostichus (19%) and beetles (Scarabeidae; 18%). Food composition and history of occurrence of the species in Slovakia and central Europe is discussed.