Small, plain shrike of dry, open areas with low shrubby cover. Gray-backed and white-bellied, with a black mask and a rusty tail and crown. Very similar to the closely related Isabelline Shrike, but look out for Red-tailed’s stronger white brow, reddish crown instead of a gray one, and cleaner underparts. Perches on exposed bushtops, posts, and wires, from which it primarily hunts for insects and arachnids.