Lanius excubitor

CH — Extinct as breeder

CH — Regular winter visitor

The largest European shrike will catch any prey that fits in its beak, from insects to mice. But like many other species dependent on diverse cultural landscapes, its habitat has been lost as a result of growing agricultural intensification. Protective hedgerows and bushes have disappeared, open species-rich meadows have given way to dense, fertilised grasslands, and the shrike’s prey has also been eradicated by the increasing use of pesticides and herbicides.