The Woodchat Shrike breeds in countries around the Mediterranean Sea and in the Middle East. It winters in Africa south of the Sahara and north of the Equator. See the distribution map at Birdlife International. It breeds in open wooded areas since it requires bushes or trees, open ground where it can hunt for insects and perches on which to watch for prey. Unlike many of its congeners, it rarely impales its prey on thorns.