Summary
In the French Mediterranean plain, the northern extreme of its native
range, the Iberian grey shrike, Lanius meridionalis ,
predominantly feeds on arthropods. Its type of loral plumage plays a key
role in protecting its eyes while transporting large prey.
The aims are to understand the role played by feathers in protecting the
animal from various types of defensive prey.
We combine an inspection of large insect prey types found on larders
with a review of bird specimens found in museum collections to examine
the morphometric characteristics of rictal feathers and culmen. In
addition, precision photographs are used to observe the posture of the
plumage in natura.
We could identify four categories of protective feathers: clustered
bristles, semi-bristles, semi-plumes distributed in the loral area, and
semi-plumes above the eyes.
Our results suggest that the Iberian grey shrike has a complex structure
of loral feathers, specific to its foraging activity and prey types. In
France, local species have longer beaks than their Spanish counterparts
which suggests a more insect-based diet.