Turdus philomelos - Song Thrush
Feather characters. Barbule length varies from short until long (0.52-2.4 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and unpigmented or partly pigmented (less than 50%) internodes. Bell-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (26-47 per mm). They all are about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. Occasionally nodes are only slightly thickened on the distal end. The breast feathers appear to have the shortest barbules with the most nodes per mm. Villi are rounded and internodes are straight. Minute prongs are present on distal end of barbules and on both sides of the pennulum. Barbules have this typical structure for Passeriformes; pigmented, bell-shaped nodes combined with rounded villi.
Field characters. Size 23 cm. Weight: male 68.9 g (56.0-89.0), female 66.6 g (52.0-89.0) (Dunning, 1993). Smaller than Blackbird and much smaller than Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus, not included in BRIS). Upperparts grey-brown, chest yellow with numerous black spots, extending onto flanks, belly white. No supercilium, unlike Redwing (Turdus iliacus, not included in BRIS). Tail shorter than Blackbird and square ending, without the white tips to outer tail feathers of Mistle Thrush. Underwing orange-yellow (orange-red in Redwing and white in Mistle Thrush). Juvenile like adult, but upperparts with light spots and streaks. Song usually given from very high songpost, like top of tree. Flight slightly undulating. More shy than Blackbird, even where it breeds in towns.
Voice. Call like Redwing, but more abruptly ending, 'tsiek'. Song loud and repetitive.
Distribution. Common. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Needs combination of high trees and low bushes, open space on ground and fields or edges of woods. Also, less commonly, in coniferous woodlands.
Food. Chiefly invertebrates. Also fruits in autumn and winter. Forages largely on the ground, sometimes in open field but more commonly close to cover. Catches snails and smashes them against an anvil-stone to break shell.