The Red-Backed Shrike (<i>Lanius collurio</i>) in the Central System of the Iberian Peninsula

The recent colonization of new breeding territories in Central Spain by the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) at the end of the 20th century is of significant biogeographical and ecological interest.This geographical expansion is paradoxical given the declining trend of the species across much of its global range.This paper presents findings on the biogeographical patterns and distribution range of the Red-backed Shrike in the Iberian Central system, as well as its habitat preferences, altitudinal shifts, potential distribution, and estimated population during the breeding period in the Community of Madrid (Spain), based on field work conducted between 2018 and 2020.The breeding population in the study area is consistently composed of approximately 500 pairs, with a preference for cool, open areas such as pastures or mosaics of meadows with thorny shrubs, situated above 1,000 m above sea level.These characteristics differentiate this population from those in the Spanish Eurosiberian region.Additionally, the anthropic and socio-economic peculiarities of the study area should be considered when establishing appropriate conservation measures to prevent local extinction in our changing world.