Spectacular Increase of Red-Backed Shrike (<i>Lanius collurio</i>) in Gaume, Southern Belgium

After years of population decline across Europe, the Red-backed Shrike has made a remarkable recovery since the 1980s.In the agricultural area of Gaume (Belgian Lorraine), a significant population growth was recorded despite a continued decline in landscape quality.This shows that larger scale factors also influence the number and distribution of the species.We systematically monitored a breeding population of Red-backed Shrike during 1979-2015and 2021-2022.Consistent growth was recorded until 1996.From 1999 to 2002, a land re-allotment project was carried out, leading to a significant decline, followed by a stable period until 2015.From 2020 onwards, new population increases were reported, leading to renewed survey efforts that resulted in a new significant and continuous increase in 2021-2023.Variations in climate appear to have played a crucial role in this striking evolution.Annual population numbers during 1980-2008 were compared with variations in climatic factors.Cold springs and wet summer periods appear to have a significant negative impact on breeder recruitment, suggesting that the species' breeding success may benefit from global climate change due to its higher breeding success rate, provided that the habitat is maintained and that its warming does not cause excessive rainfall during a critical period of its reproductive cycle.This paper describes the evolution of the Redbacked Shrike in Southern Belgium (Gaume) over four decades in relation to the evolution in neighboring countries or regions and in function of climate change.