Garden Wildlife
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Thrush Family
 
The thrushes, members of the unfortunately named Turdidae are medium sized ground-feeding birds with over 170 species world-wide.  We have six species in Britain and Ireland, of which two, the blackbird and song thrush are garden birds.  There are also two winter visitors from Scandinavia, the redwing and fieldfare, which are often seen in gardens during cold winters, and the mistle thrush which is now resident and breeding throughout Britain and Ireland and is seen in larger gardens with trees and larger urban spaces such as churchyards.  The last species, the ring-ouzel is a partial migrant, breeding in high moorland, and not a garden visitor.
 
The European thrushes mostly have speckled breasts, but in the case of the blackbird this is not prominent in the female and not present at all in the pure black male.
 
We have pages on the blackbird and song thrush - click on the pictures to visit the pages.
 
                          (Hen) Blackbird                                                                          Song thrush
 
Slightly larger than song thrush. Female and juveniles             Back and wings warm brown, underside pale buff with
only faintly spotted, overall dark grey-brown. Male black          clear arrow-shaped markings in streaks. Sexes identical
 
 
 
Other thrushes and how to distinguish them
 
 
 
23 cm
24 cm
Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus
 
Our biggest thrush at 26-28cm, distinguished from the song thrush by its size, upright stance and greyish-brown upper parts. More likely to be seen in smaller gardens in winter. See BTO factsheet
27 cm
26 cm
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
 
Bigger than song thrush, blackbird and redwing with a prominent blue-grey on head and rump, and rich chestnut brown on the wings. Winter visitor.  See BTO factsheet
Redwing  Turdus iliacus
 
Smallest of the thrushes,like the song thrush but with a conspicuous chestnut-red patch under the wing.  It also has a well marked pale line over the eye.  A winter visitor, often in mixed flocks with fieldfares, feeding on windfall apples.
See BTO factsheet
Page written and compiled by Steve Head
Thrush Family
 
The thrushes, members of the unfortunately named Turdidae are medium sized ground-feeding birds with over 170 species world-wide.  We have six species in Britain and Ireland, of which two, the blackbird and song thrush are garden birds.  There are also two winter visitors from Scandinavia, the redwing and fieldfare, which are often seen in gardens during cold winters, and the mistle thrush which is now resident and breeding throughout Britain and Ireland and is seen in larger gardens with trees and larger urban spaces such as churchyards.  The last species, the ring-ouzel is a partial migrant, breeding in high moorland, and not a garden visitor.
 
The European thrushes mostly have speckled breasts, but in the case of the blackbird this is not prominent in the female and not present at all in the pure black male.
 
We have pages on the blackbird and song thrush - click on the pictures to visit the pages.
 
24 cm
Other thrushes and how to distinguish them
 
 
 
27 cm
26 cm
Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus
 
Our biggest thrush at 26-28cm, distinguished from the song thrush by its size, upright stance and greyish-brown upper parts. More likely to be seen in smaller gardens in winter. See BTO factsheet
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
 
Bigger than song thrush, blackbird and redwing with a prominent blue-grey on head and rump, and rich chestnut brown on the wings. Winter visitor.  See BTO factsheet
Redwing  Turdus iliacus
 
Smallest of the thrushes,like the song thrush but with a conspicuous chestnut-red patch under the wing.  It also has a well marked pale line over the eye.  A winter visitor, often in mixed flocks with fieldfares, feeding on windfall apples. See BTO factsheet
Page written and compiled by Steve Head
23 cm
          (Hen) Blackbird
Slightly larger than song thrush. Female and juveniles only faintly spotted, overall dark grey-brown. Male black
                  Song thrush
Back and wings warm brown, underside pale buff with clear arrow-shaped markings in streaks. Sexes identical
 
21 cm