Saturday 5 December 2009

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

OTHER NAMES: Storm-Cock, Thrice-thrush, Screech-thrush
Latin Etymology: Turdus ("thrush") viscivorus ("mistletoe eating")
 Adult Mistle Thrush (subspecies T. v. viscivorus) at Geddington, Northants - December 2009

Featured Subspecies: Turdus viscivorus viscivorus
Weight: 110-140g  /  Length: 27cm  /  Wingspan: 42-28cm
UK RED LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Personally, I've found the Mistle Thrush to be the least easy to find of the resident thrushes, and indeed, also harder to find than both Redwing and Fieldfare. This may well be due to the decline in it's population. The Mistle Thrush is a large thrush, differentiated from the song thrush by drabber colours on top and a more contrasting difference between the pale belly and dark speckling. It is also more likely to appear in small groups than its counterpart.

Related Species:

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Subspecies:  T. v. viscivorus, T. v. deiichleri, T. v. bonapartei

- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A widespread resident breeding species (170,000 territories)
 - Birds seen in Geddington and a few assorted other locations.

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