Get to know the UK’s thrushes, including the Fieldfares and Redwings that flock here for the winter.
Redwings and Fieldfares are both species of thrush and in this feature, we take a look at these and other thrushes that are found in the UK. Read on to find out more about this fascinating family of birds and for ID tips.
The Song Thrush is on the Amber List of Birds of Conservation Concern because of the declines it’s suffered. RSPB habitat work that protects hedgerows, scrubby corners and damp ground helps this much-loved bird. Leaving some wild, untidy patches in gardens can also offer extra food and cover.
Song Thrushes are found in gardens, woodlands, parks and scrub across the UK. Look for them feeding on short grass, at the edge of shrub beds or searching for snails near stones and paths. In winter they may join mixed thrush flocks in fields or orchards, especially where there’s plenty of food.
Song Thrushes are still widespread, but they’re not as common as they used to be. A slow walk through a park or garden on a calm day, listening carefully, gives you a good chance of hearing or seeing one.
A tell-tale sign that you have a Song Thrush nearby is broken snail shells next to a stone, wall or something hard that they use as an anvil to get at the snails inside.
Its call is a simple ‘tsit’. It repeats each part of its song, sometimes three times and hence its old-fashioned name of ‘thricecock’, sometimes more.
Famed and named for its characterful vocalisations, this thrush has a pretty impressive repertoire. Its distinctive song is made up of multiple parts, with each short phrase repeated two or three times before it bounds swiftly on to the next one.
Head outside and discover fascinating birds each month. Read on for top ID tips, what to listen for, and where to see them.
