Song thrush
Scientific name: Turdus philomelos
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
Medium-sized thrush with warm brown upperparts and pale cream underside heavily spotted with dark brown. Sexes are similar in plumage; birds in fresh autumn/winter plumage show more rufous tones above.
Size and weight
Adults typically weigh 75–100 g; body length 20–23 cm. Sexual dimorphism is minimal; males average slightly larger.
Habitat
Song thrushes inhabit woodlands, copses, parks, and gardens with dense shrub cover and leaf litter. They favour deciduous and mixed forests with clearings, typically from sea level to 2,000 m elevation.
Distribution
Breeds across Europe and western Asia from British Isles to central Siberia; resident or short-distance migrant populations in Mediterranean and North Africa; northern birds winter in southern Europe and North Africa.
Diet
Primarily invertebrates (earthworms, snails, insects and larvae), supplemented with fruit and berries in autumn and winter.
Behaviour
Diurnal and crepuscular; active foragers on ground and in low vegetation. Solitary or in loose pairs during breeding; form loose flocks in winter. Migratory in northern populations, resident in southern range.
Hunting tips
Look for sign in soft ground and leaf litter: characteristic thrush droppings (white-streaked) and shallow scrape marks where birds forage. Approach through low cover and scrub; birds flush readily with characteristic loud alarm calls. Early morning and late afternoon in cool, damp conditions offer best opportunity when birds forage actively on open ground.
Whole weight
This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.
Where it is hunted
Listed as huntable in 11 countries in Huntify.
Names in other languages
Current language: en
These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.