Song Thrush or Mistle Thrush?
Reports
Both Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush are widespread resident breeding
birds on Arran. Both species are thriving here but how do you tell them apart?
Here are some pointers.
The Song Thrush is the more familiar thrush, common in gardens. More retiring, less demonstrative than Mistle, preferring to keep within easy reach of cover. The Mistle Thrush often occurs in pairs or small parties in larger gardens and open countryside.
In appearance the Song Thrush is more compact and evenly proportioned
than Mistle with warmer brown upperparts and rather buffy underparts, rather
less boldly spotted particularly on the flanks. On the other hand, the
Mistle Thrush is a bold, upright, more long necked thrush, much greyer brown
above and more boldly spotted below, particularly on the flanks. The
folded wings have noticeable pale edgings to the wing-coverts and tertials.
The white tail corners in the Mistle Thrush are obvious in flight.
Both photographs taken by Brian Couper in the same area at roughly the
same time show some of these distinguishing features.
Their songs differ as well. The Song Thrush has a loud clear song consisting of a varied series of repeated phrases, delivered with great gusto, often from a prominent perch. The Mistle Thrush song does not have the repeating phrases of the Song Thrush. It has a more wistful mellow song with a series of disjointed phrases. The Mistle Thrush also has a distinctive loud, grating, often persistent alarm call.
To sum up. The Mistle Thrush is much greyer and more upright than the Song Thrush. If you see them together Mistle Thrush is bigger than Song Thrush. Song Thrush is a little smaller than Blackbird, but Mistle Thrush is a little bigger than Blackbird.
Their songs differ as well. The Song Thrush has a loud clear song consisting of a varied series of repeated phrases, delivered with great gusto, often from a prominent perch. The Mistle Thrush song does not have the repeating phrases of the Song Thrush. It has a more wistful mellow song with a series of disjointed phrases. The Mistle Thrush also has a distinctive loud, grating, often persistent alarm call.
To sum up. The Mistle Thrush is much greyer and more upright than the Song Thrush. If you see them together Mistle Thrush is bigger than Song Thrush. Song Thrush is a little smaller than Blackbird, but Mistle Thrush is a little bigger than Blackbird.