1903 Our Common Wild Birds 313 



The Ring-Ouzel (T. torquatns), being a common bird 

 only in high moorland or mountain districts, usually far 

 from woods, gardens, and the haunts of men, need not be 

 looked for by those who live in the flatter parts of our 

 island. It very closely resembles its near relative, the 

 blackbird, but has a broad white gorget upon the breast, by 

 which mark it may be easily known. 



The Song-Thrush (T. musicus), about the size of the 

 blackbird, is, however, very different in appearance, though 

 usually equally abundant in the same haunts, and still more 

 common as a cage bird. We soon identify it by its light 

 brown back and beautifully speckled breast. It haunts 

 gardens, lawns, and hedgerows, where it may be seen 

 almost any day, moving with a succession of long hops, 

 stopping now and then to look about in a knowing way or 

 break up a snail on a stone. In the spring its loud and 

 beautiful song may be heard almost everywhere in Britain. 

 The song-thrush, throstle, or mavis, as it is often called, 

 is not easily mistaken for any other bird but 



The Mistle-Thrush (T. viscivorus). This bird is, how- 

 ever, much larger, and so shy that he does not so often 

 come into gardens, though may occasionally be heard in 

 early spring singing his few loud notes from the top of 

 some tall tree. When disturbed, the mistle-thrush flies 

 away with a scraping alarm note like the sound of an old- 

 fashioned child's rattle. You may know him also by his 

 lighter colour and the more conspicuous dark spots upon his 

 lighter coloured breast. 



The Fieldfare (T. pilaris) is another large spotted 

 thrush which visits us in winter, when it may often be seen 

 in large flocks either flying over the fields and woods or 

 spread out all over the fields feeding - . We know this bird 

 most readily by its loud and frequent call-note — " chuck- 

 uh, chuck-uh ; yock-uh, chuck-uh, chuck-uh," which often 

 betrays the presence of a flock before we see the birds ; but 

 a near view shows us its own peculiar markings, the most 

 noticeable being the contrast of the chestnut-brozun back and 

 slate-grey rump. 



The Redwing (T. iliacus) is the smallest of our thrushes, 

 and a winter visitor chiefly in severe weather. It is much 



