Venturing out of Overwinter Refuge: A Case of Winter Predation on Podarcis tauricus (Georgi, 1801) (Squamata: Lacertidae) by Lanius excubitor Linnaeus, 1758 (Aves: Laniidae) in Greece

Shrikes (Lanius spp.) are predatory passerines with a diverse diet that often includes lizards, yet their feeding ecology in Greece remains poorly documented. Here, we report the first case of the great grey shrike Lanius excubitor Linnaeus, 1758 preying on the Balkan wall lizard Podarcis tauricus (Georgi, 1801) in Greece. The observation was made in January 2023 in Central Macedonia under unusually mild winter conditions (~20 °C). The shrike captured and impaled an adult female lizard on a thorn. This record extends the known prey spectrum of the species and underscores the influence of climatic anomalies on predator–prey interactions.