The red backed shrike is a very rare bird that is seen passing through the western coasts of the UK between May and June. They were essentially lost as a breeding species in the 1990s and breeding numbers are still incredibly low. They usually perch on bushes or fence posts in mosaic-like habitats that include low-growth grasses and higher-growth shrubs and bushes, often found around farmland. They are known for impaling their prey on thorns or wedged into gaps. They spend their winter in East Africa.