THRUSHES

Song  Thrush

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Turdus philomelos

The Song Thrush is a thrush species that breeds across the West Palearctic. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognized subspecies.

The Song Thrush is 8 - 9.25 inches in length and weighs 50–107 grams.

Both sexes are similar, with plain brown backs and neatly black-spotted cream or yellow-buff underparts, becoming paler on the belly. The underwing is warm yellow, the bill is yellowish and the legs and feet are pink.

The upperparts become colder in tone from west to east across the breeding range from Sweden to Siberia.

Juveniles resemble the adults, but have buff or orange streaks on the back and wing coverts.

CALL: A short, sharp "tsip" call, replaced on migration by a thin high "seep", similar to the Redwing's call but shorter.

The alarm call is a "chook-chook" becoming shorter and more strident with increasing danger.

SONG: The male's song, given from trees, rooftops or other elevated perches, is a loud clear run of musical phrases, repeated two to four times, "filip filip filip codidio codidio quitquiquit tittit tittit tereret tereret tereret", and interspersed with grating notes and mimicry.

Feeds heavily on insects, worms, and other small invertebrates, especially during the summer breeding season. Snails sometimes become a preferred food item. They will also feed on berries and fruits, particularly in the winter months.

They can be found in a variety of woodland, forest, and other vegetated habitats, including forest edges and clearings, forested riparian areas, open woodland, urban parks and gardens, and well- vegetated residential areas.

Breeds across the West Palearctic.

Winters in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; it has also been introduced into New Zealand and Australia.

The nest is a cup built of twigs, lichens, moss, and leaves, lined with bits of wood and bark bound together with the bird's own saliva. It is usually placed in a tree or shrub, and may be quite close to the ground or as high as 40 feet.

The female lays between 2 and 6 dark- spotted blue eggs and she alone incubates them.

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
https://www.sdakotabirds.com