Long-tailed shrike sighted in Britain for third time
A long-tailed shrike, only the third ever seen in Britain, has been spotted at a farm near Lechlade, drawing birdwatchers to the site.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A long-tailed shrike, a small bird native to parts of Southeast Asia, has been spotted in Britain for only the third time ever. The bird was seen near a farm at East Leach, close to Lechlade on the Gloucestershire-Oxfordshire border, and has been drawing large crowds of birdwatchers for nearly a week.
Hundreds of people have travelled from across the country to catch a glimpse of the rare visitor. The field has become a temporary hub for birding enthusiasts, with the farmer setting up a parking area and collecting donations for charity. Many watchers arrived early and stayed for hours, scanning the bushes and brambles. One 16-year-old from Cambridge, Noah, had already seen a different long-tailed shrike in Fife just ten days earlier and made the journey south to see this one as well. He said: "I really love shrikes. I've been quite excited to see this one."
This is the third time a long-tailed shrike has been recorded in Britain, and the second sighting this year. The bird has been seen perched on wires and in the undergrowth, often near a pylon. It has not shown any sign of moving on, much to the delight of the birdwatchers who continue to visit. The exact reason for its presence remains unknown, but the event has been described as a "mega rare" by those in the birding community.
Local resident Karen Bell, who went to see the bird, described the scene: "It's not hard to spot the bird watchers. This field near East Leach is suddenly talk of the bird watching world." She eventually spotted the shrike on top of the brambles, though it appeared to have "stage fright" and was not very active. The bird's unusual appearance in Britain has sparked excitement and a steady stream of visitors, all hoping to add the species to their life lists.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| A different long-tailed shrike had appeared in Fife 10 days earlier. | |
| A farmer set up a parking field and collected donations for charity. | |
| A long-tailed shrike sighting was reported as only the third ever in Britain. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV News West Country focused on the human interest and community aspect of the story. The report highlighted the excitement of birdwatchers, the farmer's charitable parking initiative, and the reporter's own attempt to spot the bird. The tone was light and engaging, with a playful moment about mispronouncing the bird's name. The channel also included a brief mention of a separate butterfly story before transitioning to the shrike, showing a broader nature theme.
- “It's not hard to spot the bird watchers. This field near East Leach is suddenly talk of the bird watching world.”
- “I really love shrikes. I've been quite excited to see this one.”
- “We went round and round and round didn't we? Nearly gave up and then saw the parking field.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.