Lanius, the typical shrikes, are a genus of passerine birds in the shrike family. The majority of the family's species are placed in this genus. African species are known as fiscals. That name comes from the Afrikaans word fiskaal ("public official", especially a hangman), because they hang their prey on thorns for storage.

Lanius shrikes are birds of open habitats typically seen perched upright on a prominent perch like a treetop or a telegraph pole. They sally out for prey, taken in flight or the ground. These species primarily take large insects, but will also take small birds, reptiles and mammals.

Despite their diet, these are not true birds of prey, and lack the strong talons of the raptors. Though they use their feet to hold smaller insects, larger prey items are impaled upon a sharp point, such as a thorn or the barbs of barbed wire. Thus secured they can be ripped open with the hooked bill.

Most Lanius shrikes are solitary, except when breeding and highly territorial. Northern or temperate species such as the great grey and red-backed shrikes are migratory and winter well south of the breeding range.

Tiger shrike, Lanius tigrinus
Bull-headed shrike, Lanius bucephalus
Red-backed shrike Lanius collurio
Isabelline shrike Lanius isabellinus
Red-tailed shrike Lanius phoenicuroides
Brown shrike, Lanius cristatus
Burmese shrike, Lanius collurioides
Emin's shrike, Lanius gubernator
Souza's shrike, Lanius souzae
Bay-backed shrike, Lanius vittatus
Long-tailed shrike Lanius schach
Grey-backed shrike Lanius tephronotus
Mountain shrike or Grey-capped shrike, Lanius validirostris
Lesser grey shrike Lanius minor
Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus
Great grey shrike Lanius excubitor
Southern grey shrike Lanius meridionalis
Chinese grey shrike, Lanius sphenocercus
Grey-backed fiscal, Lanius excubitoroides
Long-tailed fiscal, Lanius cabanisi
Taita fiscal, Lanius dorsalis
Somali fiscal, Lanius somalicus
Mackinnon's shrike, Lanius mackinnoni
Northern fiscal, Lanius humeralis
Common (Southern) fiscal, Lanius collaris
São Tomé fiscal, Lanius newtoni
Woodchat shrike, Lanius senator
Masked shrike, Lanius nubicus