Saw it, got pictures of it, and was left suitably perplexed by it.  The black cap of this shrike was all black and reminded me of the tricolor but didn’t quite fit the description.  It was much later that I was able to look at a field guide and there it was, L. s. nasutus. The only problem was that it was supposed to be a Philippine endemic sub-species.

Most of the natural vegetation around Kundasang have been thrashed by vegetable farming.  Having lose the native forest, a lot of the land is now grassland.  Environmental concerns aside, this new “open farm and grass”  habitat is almost asking for visiting grassland dwelling species to stay.   Perhaps there is going to be a problem for the local residents ( Yellow-bellied Prinia first to mind), as this Long-tailed Shrike is quite an aggressive bird.

Grassland found in the Kundasang-Mesilau area

This L. s. nasutus will definitely delight you with continuous chirping song.  Will it stay?

Thanks to Andy.

This common shrike Lanius cristatus arrives here every year without fail. There has been no study done on this migrant here but I feel that there has been a steady decline in numbers over the years. Most arrivals here are young with various stages of barring on the flanks and back. This particular bird was spotted around a low bush making repeated forays on grasshoppers on the ground.