The Great Grey Shrike nests in open, mosaic-like terrain with mires, clear-fells and open forest. The nest is a sturdy cup of twigs, grass and moss, often placed in a dense spruce or a juniper bush. The female normally lays 5–7 eggs, and the incubation is done mainly by the female and lasts about two weeks. The young are fed by both parents and fledge after barely three weeks.