Tolka River Valley Park (TRVP)
Finglas/Cabra
Dublin Ireland 15-05-2022
Scientific classification
Domain:Eukaryota
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Turdidae
Genus:Turdus
Species:T. philomelos
Binomial name
Turdus philomelos
Like other thrushes, the song thrush likes earthworms and can be seen feeding on large lawns and parks. It also likes snails which it smashes open on a small rock or tree stump, often referred to as an anvil, leaving a large number of broken shells scattered about. In Britain, an alarming increase in the use of snail-killing chemicals in recent years, both commercially and domestically, is thought to be the main cause of a recent decline there. Like the Blackbird, song thrushes from Britain and Scandinavia come here each winter and in severe cold winters thrushes from all over the continent arrive here in large numbers.
[order] Passeriformes | [family] Turdidae | [latin] Turdus philomelos | [UK] Song Thrush | [FR] Grive musicienne | [DE] Singdrossel | [ES] Zorzal Común | [IT] Tordo bottaccio | [NL] Zanglijster | [IRL] Smólach ceoil
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 33 cm
spanwidth max.: 36 cm
size min.: 21 cm
size max.: 24 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 11 days
incubation max.: 16 days
fledging min.: 12 days
fledging max.: 16 days
broods 2
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 6
Throstle, Mavis, Whistling Thrush
One of Ireland's top-20 most widespread garden birds.
Status: Resident. Additional birds arrive from Continent in winter.
Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population is regarded as Secure by BirdLife International.
Identification: The thrush most familiar to people. Roughly the size of a Blackbird, plain brown upperparts and buffish white underside, with prominent arrow-shaped black spots in lines down the breast and flanks. Legs pale pinkish-grey. Bounds along ground in search of worms. Males sit on high perch delivering song, which is loud and far-carrying. Usually occurs in ones and twos - never in flocks.
Similar Species: Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Blackbird,
Call: A close rival songster to the Blackbird, from which it mainly differs in its repetition of each phrase three or four times. Typical phrases include "cherry dew, cherry dew, cherry dew" and "knee-deep, knee-deep…." . Loud, fluty and far-carrying. Distress call is an agitated loud rattle or a quiet "seep" and contatct note a short "swick" , often given in flight.
Diet: Insects, especially earthworms - snails a favourite. Also berries and other fruit including apples.
Breeding: Breeds throughout Ireland - mainly in hedgerows and gardens. Nest in trees, bushes, ivy, brambles and sometimes conifers.
Wintering: Widespread.
Where to See: Common throughout Ireland.
Identification Features
Slightly smaller and slimmer than a Blackbird.
Upperparts
Plain, warm brown;
Underside
Pale buff with conspicuous black spots, arranged so close together as to form lines, thinnest on the throat and upper breast, thickest with largest spots on the flanks and belly; eyes black; beak small and sharp, looks up-tilted; legs long and pink. On open ground often makes short dashes.
In Flight
Mainly unmarked upper parts, pale buff-orange inner underwing.
Voice Guide
Its call is a loud thick, repeated several times quickly. The song, delivered from a high leafy perch, roof or TV aerial, is similar to that of a Blackbird, but more musical and structured, containing short phrases repeated clearly, usually two to four times.
Diet
Mainly earthworms and insects. During dry periods will eat snails and in the autumn and winter will eat berries and other fruit also.
Food to put out = May take fruit and kitchen scraps from the ground.
Nesting Season = Mid-March to mid-June.
Nest Location = Usually nests in a well-hidden site in trees or shrubs and occasionally on buildings.
Nest = A neat cup-shaped nest made of a variety of plant materials lined with mud or rotten wood pulp. Nest built by the female.
Eggs = Four to six, 27mm, slightly shiny bright pale green-blue eggs with flecks or spots ranging in colour from dark green to dark rusty red. Usually only a light scattering of marks, rarely concentrated towards the broad end of the egg.
Incubation Period = Twelve to fourteen days, by female.
Fledging Time = Thirteen to fifteen days, fed by both parents.
Number of broods reared per year = Two to three.
Nest Box = Nest bundles and occasionally small platforms.
Average Lifespan = Three years.
Oldest Known Individual = Ten years.
Confusion Species = Mistle thrush is larger, colder brown; white inner underwing; round spots not arranged in lines; stands very upright.
Redwing a winter visitor, is slightly smaller; pale buff supercilium; dark red-orange on inner underwings and flanks; call a thin tseeep.