ID Keys: Brown upperparts, buffy pale underparts with chevron-shaped
speckles, pink legs, yellowish bill
The
Song Thrush is native to the Old World. They breed from the United
Kingdom eastward, through Scandanavia and much of Russia, and in the winter
they are primarily found in western Europe, the Middle East, and northern
Africa. A popular and well known songbird in much of Europe, they have
also been introduced to Australia and New Zealand, where persisting breeding
populations have now been established. In North America, they are
known from but a single sighting. In November of 2006, a single,
first-year bird was found in Saint Fulgence, Quebec. The bird was well
seen and photographed for 2 days before disappearing. The species is a
regular vagrant in Iceland, and a dead Song Thrush was once found in
Greenland, so there's some history of wayward Song Thrush being found far
west of their normal range. However the Quebec sightings remains the
lone North American sighting.
Habitat
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.
Diet
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.
Behavior
Much foraging is done on the ground,
where they tend to stay near protective vegetation as they search for
earthworms, snails, and other prey. They are known for feeding on
snails in some locations, grabbing them with their bill and smashing them
against a rock or other hard surface to break the shell and gain access to
the soft body inside.
Nesting
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. The nest 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 eggs, and she alone incubates them. The young
hatch after about 2 weeks, with both parents helping to feed and raise the
young. The young fledge about 2 weeks after hatching.
Song
The song is a varied series of musical
phrases, repeated multiple times before changing to a new series of phrases.
Migration
In their native Europe and Asia, most
birds in the northern parts of their range are migratory, but some
populations may be resident year-round, particularly in parts of western
Europe. Resident populations may be augmented in the winter by
migrating birds from further north.
Song Thrush populations are
generally strong and may be increasing at a global level. They are
found over a wide geographic area, and are common in parts of their range.
There are some regional populations that may be in decline, including
populations in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, but overall,
the IUCN lists the
Song Thrush as a species of "Least Concern".
