George McGavin on the Red-backed Shrike
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about birds inspired by their calls, songs and behaviour.
Entomologist and wildlife presenter George McGavin describes his lifelong fascination with the red-backed shrike. When George bought his first bird guide at the age of 10, this small shrike caught his eye because of its habit of impaling large insects and small vertebrates on thorns. This 'butcher bird' was once a common visitor to the south of England but was lost as a British breeding species by the 1990s - and it wasn't until 50 years after first reading about it that George finally got to see one.
Presented by George McGavin and produced by Sophie Anton for 蜜芽传媒 Audio in Bristol
Featuring a recording from Xeno-canto by Elias A. Ryberg (Red-backed shrike - XC676551)
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- Sun 12 Oct 2025 08:58蜜芽传媒 Radio 4
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Tweet of the Day
Discover birds through their songs and calls. 265 programmes of 90 seconds, over a year
