Mistle Thrush

The Mistle Thrush has a calm, solid look, with a plain grey-brown back and a pale underside marked with dark spots. On the ground it stands upright and looks larger than a Song Thrush, so in a park or square its posture and steady way of moving are often the first things you notice.

Its call is sharp, and its song is short, repeated, and full of flute-like notes. It sits somewhere between a Blackbird and a Song Thrush in sound, and the male can sing from a treetop, even in wet and windy weather.

It uses light woods, parks, and tree-lined squares, and many northern populations move south for winter. It feeds on earthworms, mistletoe, berries, fruit, insects, and snails, so it may show up where the ground is open or where fruiting trees are holding food.