Song Thrush

1. Bird Name
The bird under review is the Song Thrush. Its scientific name is Turdus philomelos.

2. Appearance
The Song Thrush is a versatile and easily identifiable bird, sporting a gorgeous mix of brown and cream colors. Its upper parts are uniform warm brown, with its underparts cream, becoming white on the belly. It has distinctive dark round spots on its underparts that become more conjoined on the throat. The beak and legs of this bird are a yellow-brown hue, and it has big round-shaped eyes with dark brown irises. Their feathers are soft and their beak is straight and sharp-pointed which they use for feeding. No significant difference is present in the appearance between males and females.

3. Size
Generally, the adult Song Thrush measures in at about 23 cm (9 inches) in length. Their wingspan varies, typically ranging from 33-36 cm (13-14 inches). In terms of weight, Song Thrushes range from 70 to 90 grams.

4. Habitat & Distribution
The Song Thrush is a migratory species that inhabits a range of environments. It prefers deciduous woodlands, but is also commonly found in parks and gardens in various urban areas throughout Europe and Asia. It can also be spotted in New Zealand and Australia, where it has been introduced.

5. Interesting Facts
Did you know that the Song Thrush is known for its distinctive singing abilities? Its ability to repeat each line of its melodious and fluty bird song two to four times has made it easily recognisable. And here’s a fun fact: the Song Thrush uses a ‘thrushing stone’ to break open the shells of snails – it’s one of the few bird species known to use tools!

6. Diet
The diet of the Song Thrush primarily consists of earthworms and snails. It also feeds on a wide range of insects, spiders, berries and fruits depending upon the season.

7. Behavior & Sounds
One distinctive behavior of the Song Thrush is its unique ‘thrushing’ technique where they smash snails open against stones to access their prey. When it comes to their voice, they are renowned for their beautiful, flute-like song, with each phrase typically repeated two to four times in succession.

8. Conservation Status
The IUCN Red List classifies the Song Thrush as a species of least concern, primarily due to its widespread distribution. However, in some parts of Europe, numbers have been noted as being in decline.

9. Lifespan
In the wild, the Song Thrush has an average lifespan of about 3–5 years. However, in captivity, they can live over 10 years.

10. Additional Notes
In France and Spain, the Song Thrush, locally known as Grive Musicienne and Zorzal Comun respectively, is greatly appreciated for its melodious singing abilities. They occasioanally feed on crops therefore getting a reputation as a pest amongst farmers. In ecosystems, Song Thrushes play a role in controlling populations of their typical prey, such as snails and insects. They also contribute to seed dispersal through their consumption of fruits and berries.