Further Range Expansion of the Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus (Lichtenstein, 1823) (Aves: Laniidae) in the Balkan Peninsula: the First Record of the Species from Serbia

Abstract

The masked shrike Lanius nubicus (Lichtenstein, 1823) (Aves: Laniidae) is recorded in Serbia for the first time. On the 7th and 24th May and 26th June 2021, one pair and three individuals of the species were observed near village Slavujevac, Preševo Municipality, south Serbia. The occurrence of several birds of both sexes in the two consecutive months during the reproduction period led us to propose that the species is a new breeding species for Serbia. These records confirm the claims about the expansion of the range of the masked shrike to the north and west, respectively, concerning the current distribution in neighbouring Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia.