Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

The Song Thrush, Turdus philomelos, is a medium-sized thrush belonging to the family Turdidae, and one of Britain’s most accomplished and celebrated songsters. Adults are warm brown above with neatly spotted, buff-toned underparts, and are distinguished from the larger Mistle Thrush by their more compact build and warmer colouration. The song is rich, loud, and highly distinctive – characterised by the repetition of short musical phrases two or three times in succession, often delivered from a prominent perch for extended periods. An adaptable feeder on invertebrates, berries, and fruit, it is particularly well known for using a favourite stone as an ‘anvil’ to smash open snail shells. The Song Thrush declined significantly during the latter part of the twentieth century due to agricultural intensification and is an Amber List species in Britain. Image: © Neil Rolph, Flickr.

Find out more: RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, iNaturalist