The southern fiscal or fiscal shrike (Lanius collaris) is a member of the shrike family found through most of southern Africa. It is also sometimes named jackie hangman or butcher bird due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns to store the food for later consumption. It was previously lumped together with the northern fiscal (Lanius humeralis).[2] Together they were known as the common fiscal.
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the southern fiscal in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. He used the French name La pie-griesche du Cap de Bonne Espérance and the Latin Lanius capitis Bonae Spei.[3] Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.[4] When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson.[4] One of these was the southern fiscal. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the current binomial nameLanius collaris and cited Brisson's work.[5] The specific namecollaris is Latin for "of the neck".[6]
L. c. aridicolus Clancey, 1955 – south western Angola and north western Namibia (dune-fog zone of the Namib Desert)
L. c. collaris Linnaeus, 1766 – extreme southern Namibia, southern, central and eastern South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, and extreme southern Mozambique (Maputo)(except the south), Zambia, northern Botswana, and possibly also extreme south western Tanzania and extreme north eastern Namibia
L. c. marwitzi Reichenow, 1901 Uhehe fiscal – north eastern, central and south eastern Tanzania, northern Malawi
L. c. pyrrhostictus Holub & Pelzeln, 1882 – extreme north eastern Botswana (around Basuto), southern Zimbabwe (south of Harare), north eastern and eastern South Africa (Limpopo and Mpumalanga), and south western Mozambique (almost restricted to Gaza province)
L. c. subcoronatus A. Smith, 1841 – extreme south east Angola, Namibia (excluding the coastal north west and extreme south), Botswana, south western Zimbabwe, and northern South Africa (south to north western Northern Cape and central Free State)
Descriptionedit
This is a fairly distinctive 21–23-cm long passerine with white underparts and black upperparts extending from the top of the head down to the tail. The bird has a characteristic white "V" on the back and a relatively long black tail with white outer feathers and white tips on the other feathers. The bill, eyes and legs are black. Adult male and female common fiscals are quite similar except for the rufous lower flank of the female.
The calls are a jumbled mix of shrike-like swizzling sounds including some imitations and a harsh Dzzzttt-dzzzt-dzzzt alarm call. Most of those calls however are either threatening or alarm calls. The species sometimes produces a surprisingly sweet, quiet song, although such song, however sweet it sounds, generally is either territorial or pair-bonding in function.[8]
Distribution and habitatedit
The southern fiscal lives in a wide range of habitats from grassland with fences for perching to acacia thornveld or even woodland, but avoids very dense habitats where its hunting would be impaired.
Southern fiscals can encounter cold temperatures in the winter and in high-altitude environments. To cope with these cold temperatures, fiscal shrikes undergo seasonal changes in body temperature, oxygen consumption, and evaporative water loss in order to conserve energy. At lower altitudes, the shrikes have higher basal metabolic rates, evaporative water loss, and body temperatures compared to shrikes in higher altitude environments. In the winter, basal metabolic rate and oxygen consumption are increased while body temperature is decreased.[9]
Behaviouredit
The southern fiscal is usually solitary and hunts insects and small rodents from an exposed perch or the tops of shrubs. Territorial size is directly related to the density of hunting perches. Installing more artificial perches causes the fiscal to reduce its territory size and allow more birds in the affected range.
Along with adjusting their physiology, southern fiscals also adjust their hunting methods at different times of year in response to seasonal changes in food demand. During the summer, the shrikes hunted from an hour before sunrise to right before sunset. During the winter, hunting only occurred from daytime to sunset, so the shrikes increased their attack and capture rates, and they also captured larger prey. Prey length, handling time, and attack time increased with altitude.[11]
Galleryedit
L. c. aridicolus Clancey, 1955 — native to the Namib desert
L. c. subcoronatus A.Smith, 1841 — native to interior of southern Africa
L. c. collaris female, showing rufous flanks and white scapulars
L. c. predator Clancey, 1953 — in part lumped with the nominate subsp.
L. c. collaris juvenile with brown, grizzled plumage, still under care of adult
L. c. collaris juvenile with barred scapular feathers and pointed rectrices
Referencesedit
^BirdLife International (2016). "Lanius collaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22730635A93999564. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22730635A93999564.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^Bowie, Rauri; Crowe, Tim; Voelker, Gary. "Systematics and Biogeography, Comparative phylogeography of southern African birds" (PDF). Annual Report January – December 2009, Research Programmes & Initiatives. Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
^Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 2. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. pp. 182–184, Plate 15 fig 1. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen.
^ abAllen, J.A. (1910). "Collation of Brisson's genera of birds with those of Linnaeus". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 28: 317–335. hdl:2246/678.
^Linnaeus, Carl (1766). Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1, Part 1 (12th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 135.
^Jobling, J.A. (2018). del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Shrikes, vireos, shrike-babblers". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
^Konrad Lorenz (15 April 2013). King Solomon's Ring. Routledge. ISBN978-1-134-49892-5. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
^Soobramoney, S. et al. (2003). "Physiological variability in the Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris along an altitudinal gradient in South Africa". Journal of Thermal Biology 28(8): 581–594.
^Brower, Lincoln P.; Gibson, D. O.; Moffitt, C. M.; Panchen, A. L. (1978-06-01). "Cardenolide content of Danaus chrysippus butterflies from three areas of East Africa". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 10 (2): 251–273. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.1978.tb00015.x. ISSN 0024-4066.
^Soobramoney, S. et al. (2009). "Variability in foraging behaviour and prey of the Common Fiscal Shrike, Lanius collaris, along an altitudinal gradient in South Africa". Journal of African Ornithology 75(3): 133–140.
Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, SASOL Birds of Southern Africa (Struik 2002) ISBN1-86872-721-1
External linksedit
Media related to Lanius collaris at Wikimedia Commons
Species text - The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Videos, photos and sounds - Internet Bird Collection
January 01, 1970
southern, fiscal, fiscal, shrike, redirects, here, other, uses, fiscal, shrike, disambiguation, southern, fiscal, fiscal, shrike, lanius, collaris, member, shrike, family, found, through, most, southern, africa, also, sometimes, named, jackie, hangman, butcher. Fiscal shrike redirects here For other uses see Fiscal shrike disambiguation The southern fiscal or fiscal shrike Lanius collaris is a member of the shrike family found through most of southern Africa It is also sometimes named jackie hangman or butcher bird due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns to store the food for later consumption It was previously lumped together with the northern fiscal Lanius humeralis 2 Together they were known as the common fiscal Southern fiscal L c subcoronatus in Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden in Roodepoort Conservation status Least Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Passeriformes Family Laniidae Genus Lanius Species L collaris Binomial name Lanius collarisLinnaeus 1766 Subspecies See text Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Behaviour 5 Gallery 6 References 7 External linksTaxonomy editIn 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the southern fiscal in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa He used the French name La pie griesche du Cap de Bonne Esperance and the Latin Lanius capitis Bonae Spei 3 Although Brisson coined Latin names these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 4 When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson 4 One of these was the southern fiscal Linnaeus included a brief description coined the current binomial name Lanius collaris and cited Brisson s work 5 The specific name collaris is Latin for of the neck 6 Five subspecies are recognised 7 L c aridicolus Clancey 1955 south western Angola and north western Namibia dune fog zone of the Namib Desert L c collaris Linnaeus 1766 extreme southern Namibia southern central and eastern South Africa Eswatini Lesotho and extreme southern Mozambique Maputo except the south Zambia northern Botswana and possibly also extreme south western Tanzania and extreme north eastern Namibia L c marwitzi Reichenow 1901 Uhehe fiscal north eastern central and south eastern Tanzania northern Malawi L c pyrrhostictus Holub amp Pelzeln 1882 extreme north eastern Botswana around Basuto southern Zimbabwe south of Harare north eastern and eastern South Africa Limpopo and Mpumalanga and south western Mozambique almost restricted to Gaza province L c subcoronatus A Smith 1841 extreme south east Angola Namibia excluding the coastal north west and extreme south Botswana south western Zimbabwe and northern South Africa south to north western Northern Cape and central Free State Description editThis is a fairly distinctive 21 23 cm long passerine with white underparts and black upperparts extending from the top of the head down to the tail The bird has a characteristic white V on the back and a relatively long black tail with white outer feathers and white tips on the other feathers The bill eyes and legs are black Adult male and female common fiscals are quite similar except for the rufous lower flank of the female The calls are a jumbled mix of shrike like swizzling sounds including some imitations and a harsh Dzzzttt dzzzt dzzzt alarm call Most of those calls however are either threatening or alarm calls The species sometimes produces a surprisingly sweet quiet song although such song however sweet it sounds generally is either territorial or pair bonding in function 8 Distribution and habitat editThe southern fiscal lives in a wide range of habitats from grassland with fences for perching to acacia thornveld or even woodland but avoids very dense habitats where its hunting would be impaired Southern fiscals can encounter cold temperatures in the winter and in high altitude environments To cope with these cold temperatures fiscal shrikes undergo seasonal changes in body temperature oxygen consumption and evaporative water loss in order to conserve energy At lower altitudes the shrikes have higher basal metabolic rates evaporative water loss and body temperatures compared to shrikes in higher altitude environments In the winter basal metabolic rate and oxygen consumption are increased while body temperature is decreased 9 Behaviour editThe southern fiscal is usually solitary and hunts insects and small rodents from an exposed perch or the tops of shrubs Territorial size is directly related to the density of hunting perches Installing more artificial perches causes the fiscal to reduce its territory size and allow more birds in the affected range In eastern Africa the southern fiscal is a major predator of the plain tiger butterfly 10 Along with adjusting their physiology southern fiscals also adjust their hunting methods at different times of year in response to seasonal changes in food demand During the summer the shrikes hunted from an hour before sunrise to right before sunset During the winter hunting only occurred from daytime to sunset so the shrikes increased their attack and capture rates and they also captured larger prey Prey length handling time and attack time increased with altitude 11 Gallery edit nbsp L c aridicolus Clancey 1955 native to the Namib desert nbsp L c subcoronatus A Smith 1841 native to interior of southern Africa nbsp L c collaris female showing rufous flanks and white scapulars nbsp L c predator Clancey 1953 in part lumped with the nominate subsp nbsp L c collaris juvenile with brown grizzled plumage still under care of adult nbsp L c collaris juvenile with barred scapular feathers and pointed rectricesReferences edit BirdLife International 2016 Lanius collaris IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22730635A93999564 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22730635A93999564 en Retrieved 13 November 2021 Bowie Rauri Crowe Tim Voelker Gary Systematics and Biogeography Comparative phylogeography of southern African birds PDF Annual Report January December 2009 Research Programmes amp Initiatives Percy FitzPatrick Institute University of Cape Town Retrieved 24 August 2016 Brisson Mathurin Jacques 1760 Ornithologie ou Methode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres sections genres especes amp leurs varietes in French and Latin Vol 2 Paris Jean Baptiste Bauche pp 182 184 Plate 15 fig 1 The two stars at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the examination of a specimen a b Allen J A 1910 Collation of Brisson s genera of birds with those of Linnaeus Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 28 317 335 hdl 2246 678 Linnaeus Carl 1766 Systema naturae per regna tria natura secundum classes ordines genera species cum characteribus differentiis synonymis locis in Latin Vol 1 Part 1 12th ed Holmiae Stockholm Laurentii Salvii p 135 Jobling J A 2018 del Hoyo J Elliott A Sargatal J Christie D A de Juana E eds Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive Lynx Edicions Retrieved 21 June 2018 Gill Frank Donsker David eds 2018 Shrikes vireos shrike babblers World Bird List Version 8 1 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 21 June 2018 Konrad Lorenz 15 April 2013 King Solomon s Ring Routledge ISBN 978 1 134 49892 5 Retrieved 21 September 2013 Soobramoney S et al 2003 Physiological variability in the Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris along an altitudinal gradient in South Africa Journal of Thermal Biology 28 8 581 594 Brower Lincoln P Gibson D O Moffitt C M Panchen A L 1978 06 01 Cardenolide content of Danaus chrysippus butterflies from three areas of East Africa Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 10 2 251 273 doi 10 1111 j 1095 8312 1978 tb00015 x ISSN 0024 4066 Soobramoney S et al 2009 Variability in foraging behaviour and prey of the Common Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris along an altitudinal gradient in South Africa Journal of African Ornithology 75 3 133 140 Ian Sinclair Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton SASOL Birds of Southern Africa Struik 2002 ISBN 1 86872 721 1External links edit nbsp Media related to Lanius collaris at Wikimedia Commons Species text The Atlas of Southern African Birds Videos photos and sounds Internet Bird Collection Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Southern fiscal amp oldid 1175485666, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
