The upperparts of this species become colder in tone from west to east across the breeding range from Sweden to Siberia. The underwing is warm yellow, the bill is yellowish and the legs and feet are pink. The sexes are similar, with plain brown backs and neatly black-spotted cream or yellow-buff underparts, becoming paler on the belly. philomelos) is 20 to 23.5 centimetres ( 7 + 3⁄ 4 to 9 + 1⁄ 4 inches) in length and weighs 50 to 107 grams ( 1 + 3⁄ 4 to 3 + 3⁄ 4 ounces). The song thrush (as represented by the nominate subspecies T. nataliae of Siberia, proposed by the Russian Sergei Buturlin in 1929, are not widely accepted. hebridensis in the Inner Hebrides and western Scotland, and in these areas birds show intermediate characteristics. This form intergrades with the nominate subspecies in central Europe, and with T. It is a partial migrant with some birds wintering in southern France and Iberia. It has brown upperparts which are warmer in tone than those of the nominate form, an olive-tinged rump and rich yellow background colour to the underparts. clarkei, described by German zoologist Ernst Hartert in 1909, and named for William Eagle Clarke, breeds in the rest of Great Britain and Ireland and on mainland Europe in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and possibly somewhat further east. It is the darkest subspecies, with a dark brown back, greyish rump, pale buff background colour to the underparts and grey-tinged flanks. hebridensis, described by British ornithologist William Eagle Clarke in 1913, is a mainly sedentary (non-migratory) form found in the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Skye in Scotland. philomelos, covering the majority of the species' range. The song thrush has three subspecies, with the nominate subspecies, T. merula) which are descended from ancestors that had colonised the Canary islands from Africa and subsequently reached Europe from there. They are less closely related to other European thrush species such as the blackbird ( T. mupinensis) these three species are early offshoots from the Eurasian lineage of Turdus thrushes after they spread north from Africa. Classification Ī parent feeding chicks in their nest in a New Zealand gardenĪ molecular study indicated that the song thrush's closest relatives are the similarly plumaged mistle thrush ( T. Mavis is derived via Middle English mavys and Old French mauvis from Middle Breton milhuyt meaning "thrush." Mavis (Μαβής) can also mean " purple" in Greek. Throstle dates back to at least the fourteenth century and was used by Chaucer in the Parliament of Fowls. The dialect names throstle and mavis both mean thrush, being related to the German drossel and French mauvis respectively. Her name is derived from the Ancient Greek Φιλο philo- ( loving), and μέλος melos ( song). The generic name, Turdus, is the Latin for thrush, and the specific epithet refers to a character in Greek mythology, Philomela, who had her tongue cut out, but was changed into a singing bird. The song thrush was described by German ornithologist Christian Ludwig Brehm in 1831, and still bears its original scientific name, Turdus philomelos. Like other perching birds ( passerines), it is affected by external and internal parasites and is vulnerable to predation by cats and birds of prey. It is omnivorous and has the habit of using a favourite stone as an " anvil" on which to break open the shells of snails. The song thrush builds a neat mud-lined cup nest in a bush or tree and lays four to five dark-spotted blue eggs. Although it is not threatened globally, there have been serious population declines in parts of Europe, possibly due to changes in farming practices. The song thrush breeds in forests, gardens and parks, and is partially migratory with many birds wintering in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East it has also been introduced into New Zealand and Australia. Its distinctive song, which has repeated musical phrases, has frequently been referred to in poetry. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. The song thrush ( Turdus philomelos) is a thrush that breeds across the West Palearctic.
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