Head of the red-backed shrike. Antique engraved illustration of the red-backed shrike. Vintage illustration of the red-backed shrike. Old engraved picture of the bird. The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae. Its breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia. It is migratory and winters in the eastern areas of tropical Africa and southern Africa.