Red-backed shrike are are now almost extinct as a UK breeding species. 

They are slightly larger but slimmer than house sparrows and like to perch on the tops of bushes, fence posts and telephone wires.

Here are five places where you might be able to spot one.

Red-backed shrike are declining in numbers and are now almost extinct as a UK breeding species (Image: Sarah Purton)

Winterton is one of the premier places to spot migrating birds on the Norfolk coast.

It boasts an extensive dune system, scattered bushes, and broad views that make spotting shrikes easier.

The site regularly hosts red-backed shrike alongside other migrant birds such as wryneck, hoopoe and barred warblers, especially in late spring and September.

Birders should keep their eyes glued to the main dune ridge, bramble and any sheltered hollows where insects gather for the best chance of spotting one swooping down to eat.

In recent seasons, Thornham has quietly become one of the county’s most reliable spots to catch a glimpse of a shrike.

Juvenile red-backed shrikes have lingered along the coastal path in the early autumn.

But the key stretch for tweakers to watch is the path out from the village across the salt marsh towards Holme.

3. Cley and Walsey Hills

Cley-next-the-Sea is synonymous with rare migrant birds, and the red-backed shrike has been known to visit the seaside spot.

Walsey Hills, just east of Cley, has also produced sightings in recent autumns. One birdwatcher recently spotted a female shrike “grabbing insects” at the spot.

The dunes and scrub west of Burnham Overy Staithe hold a heady mix of coastal habitats - grazing marsh, salt marsh, reedbed and dunes in one long, birdy walk.

Bird tour operators highlight the area as a late-spring and early-autumn hotspot where scarce passerines, including the odd red-backed shrike, can drop in among other birds such as Whinchats, warblers and pipits.

A male red singing bird that stayed on site for over a week last June, though breeding attempts have usually been kept quiet for protection reasons.

Santon Downham and Lakenheath Fen are now better known for woodpeckers and warblers, but any areas with big insects could still host a wandering shrike in May or June if you are lucky.

© Eastern Daily Press