There's a tourist outside my window. I say "tourist" because this bird flew thousands of miles from probably as far as Siberia or Mongolia to arrive outside the house here in La Trinidad, Benguet.
This is a brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) and it's a migratory bird. It breeds in Siberia, Mongolia, China, Korea, and Japan. It then migrates to Southeast Asia, the Philippines being a key destination, to escape the harsh winters of the Northern Hemisphere. Brown shrikes usually start arriving in the Philippines in September. That's why their sightings are often associated with the arrival of the "ber" months. Their arrival/stay here lasts until March or April.
Here's an interesting fact about brown shrikes. They are also called "butcher birds". Why? Because they are known for impaling their prey on thorns and sharp objects. Their prey include insects, lizards, small frogs, and even small birds. Their genus name Lanius is derived from the Latin word for "butcher".
The Ilocanos call the brown shrike "palal". The Visayans call it "tibaas" or "tibalas". The Tagalogs call it "tarat", "pakiskis", or "kilis".
I'm not aware of any Cordilleran word for it. If you have a word for this bird in any of our Cordilleran languages, feel free to share in the comments section.
#cordillerabiodiversity #cordillerabirds #benguetbirds #birdwatching #birding
