A popular garden songbird whose numbers are declining seriously, especially on farmland making it a Red List species. Smaller and browner than a Mistle Thrush with smaller spotting.
The Song Thrush breeds across much of Europe It is sometimes known as Throstle or Mavis. It has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff under parts. They have a distinctive song, which has up to 100 individual musical phrases, and is frequently been referred to in poetry.
The Song Thrush breeds in forests, gardens and parks, an, like the Blackbird, is partially migratory, with many birds wintering in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and some not leaving Britain.
Although it is not threatened globally, and with 2 million birds in Britain, you would not expect it to be on the red list, but the decline is so rapid, that it is of great concern.
Snails are especially important when drought or hard weather makes it difficult to find other food such as, Invertebrates like earthworms, also fruit. The thrush often uses a favourite stone as an "anvil" on which to smash the snail. Young birds flick objects and attempt to play with them until they learn to use anvils as tools.
Conservation Status UK
Red
Status in UK
Migrant/Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Length
23 cm
Wingspan
34cm
Weight
85g
Habitat
Woodland, scrub, towns and villages
First Record
8th Century
Egg Size
27x20 mm
Egg Weight
6.0 g
Clutch Size
4 eggs
Incubation
14-15 days
Fledging
14-15 days
Number of broods
2 to 4
Number in Britain
2 million
First clutches laid
Late April
Age at First Breeding
1 year
Typical Lifespan
3 years
Maximum Recorded Age
10 years, 8 months