Song Thrush Identification Guide
What I look like
The Song Thrush is smaller than a blackbird.
It has large black eyes and a brown beak.
The upper body is brown.
The underside is white with black spots shaped like arrowheads.
The yellowish color of the inside of the wings is clearly visible in flight.
It closely resembles the Mistle Thrush...
But the latter is larger, has rounded spots and stands more upright.
My songs, my calls
The Song Thrush makes various calls. For example, its alarm call "zwi-zwi-zwi"
The Song Thrush has a melodious, loud, and energetic song and is a great improviser, constantly changing its song!
It is known for its short, varied phrases, which it repeats 2 to 4 times with always different sounds and sometimes imitations.
It sings perched, on the top of tall trees.
It can be heard singing from early March, at the end of winter.
How I behave
On the ground, the Song Thrush pecks and searches the underbrush for food.
Sometimes it is noticed breaking snail shells on a rock or the ground.
It sometimes comes to the feeder if the winter is harsh.
It is cautious and wary.
How I reproduce
The breeding season of the Song Thrush extends from March to August.
It produces 2 broods per year of 3 to 5 pale blue-green eggs speckled with brown.
It nests in deciduous and coniferous trees.
Its nest is a cup made of twigs, grass, and stems.
It is easily recognized by the smooth base: a plaster made from saliva and clay.
What I eat
The Song Thrush eats insects and snails by foraging the ground.
To get the soft part of the snail, it breaks the shell on a hard surface.
It also feeds on berries and fruits.
Where to find me
The Song Thrush lives in deciduous and coniferous forests and in the trees and bushes of parks and gardens.
In winter, it moves to more open areas like fields, vineyards, or small woodlands...
to find food in the hedgerows.
It is a sedentary species or sometimes a medium-distance migrant.
The populations from the North and East of Europe are migratory.