Britain’s largest songbird. Renowned for defending its food supply. Named for its love of mistletoe berries.
Common names: mistle thrush
Scientific name: Turdus viscivorus
Family: Turdidae (thrushes)
Habitat: woodland, parks and gardens
Diet: berries, earthworms, slugs and insects
Predators: domestic cats, foxes and birds of prey
Origin: native
The largest thrush species in the UK, the mistle thrush measures around 28cm in length. It has greyish-brown upperparts, a long tail and a plump white belly with heavy, dark brown spots. Its legs are yellow-brown in colour.
Not to be confused with: the song thrush, which is much smaller and has warmer brown tones.
The mistle thrush eats berries, seeds and fruit, as well as worms and insects, and is named after its love of mistletoe berries in particular. It is fiercely territorial when it comes to food, guarding its food sources (such as holly bushes or rowan trees) closely, often with two birds defending the same area.
Credit: Jim Hallett / naturepl.com
These birds usually breed from February to May, with the female building a big, messy nest in the fork of a tree. Mistle thrush nests are made out of mud, leaves and grasses. Around 3-6 eggs are laid, hatching after two weeks. Chicks fledge after approximately 15-20 days.
Mistle thrushes are found in woodland, parks and gardens. They are widespread across the UK but are absent from some Scottish isles and areas of extremely high, bare ground.
This hungry bird's Latin name translates to 'devourer of mistletoe'.
Listen out for the sharp chattering noises these birds make when disturbed – they are particularly prone to making these warning calls during strong winds. As they are garden visitors, adding seeds and fruit to your bird feeder is a good way of attracting them. Or, if you have any berry bushes nearby, chances are these birds might be guarding them!
Unfortunately mistle thrush populations in the UK have been in decline since the 1970s. It is believed this could be due to increased infant mortality. The bird is classified as a red (high concern) species and is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
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