The Southern Grey Shrike is distributed in the Iberian Peninsula and southern France and in northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian sub-continent. It is found in open country with thorny bushes and can be found in semi-desert and desert provided some thorny bushes are present.

There is some debate about the taxonomy of this species. Some authorities regard it as a separate species while others treat it as a sub-species of Great Grey Shrike L. excubitor which has a wide distribution in Europe, Asia and North America.

It differs from Great Grey Shrike in being much darker above, pinkish below and with shorter wings.

The duller bird in photo 2 is, I assume, a juvenile.