The 37 species of Shrikes (Laniidae) have a maily Eurasian and African distribution, with just two breeding in North America. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits. They inhabit open habitats, especially steppe and savannah. A few species of shrike are forest dwellers.

Shrikes are medium-sized birds, up to 50 centimetres in length, with grey, brown, or black and white plumage. Their beaks are hooked, like that of a bird of prey, reflecting their predatory nature, and their calls are strident. Shrikes are known for their habit of catching insects and small vertebrates and impaling their bodies on thorns. This helps them to tear the flesh into smaller, more conveniently-sized fragments, and serves as a cache so that the shrike can return to the uneaten portions at a later time. Interestingly enough, this same behavior of impaling insects serves as an adaptation to eating the toxic lubber grasshopper. The bird waits for 1-2 days for the toxins within the grasshopper to degrade, and then can eat it. Shrikes make regular use of exposed perch sites, where they adopt a conspicuous upright stance. These sites are used in order to watch for prey items and to advertise their presence to rivals.