Passer es 19 



Three typical Thrushes are residents or partial 

 migrants in Britain. Of these the Mistle, i.e. Mistletoe- 

 thrush (Turdus viscivorus), is the largest, and is especially 

 noticeable in early spring, when its loud churring notes, 

 coupled with a harsher song than that of the Common 

 Thrush, may be heard in the roughest weather. Hence 

 it is known as the Stormcock, whUe it is often caUed a 

 Feltyfare in mistake for the Fieldfare. In plumage it 

 is greyer than the common thrush, with white instead of 

 orange-bufE under- wing ; in flight it is swifter ; in food 

 it shews a greater liking for fruit and berries, including 

 those of the mistletoe. The young have much white on 

 the wing-coverts. The Mistle-thrush is a bird of the 

 hedgerow and copse, not of thick woods, and has spread 

 to the northern islands of Scotland and to Ireland 

 during the last century or so, with the increase of 

 plantations. The nest, a solid structure of grass and 

 moss. Lined with finer materials, is seldom placed near 

 the ground, but occupies some conspicuous fork of a 

 branch ; the four or five greenish or reddish white eggs 

 are finely marked with rusty red and hlac. This species 

 is an early breeder, but is certainly to a large extent 

 migratory; it is a shy bird, though bold at the nest. 

 It occurs throughout most of the Palsearctic region, 

 but not within the Arctic circle. 



The Common or Song-thrush {T. musicus clarkii) is 

 too familiar to need description either as regards its 

 plumage or its varied song. Its foreign range is not very 

 dissimilar to that of the last species, but the continental 

 form is distinguishable from the British in coloration, 

 and we are thus able to gain a rough idea of the number 

 of individuals that arrive from abroad in autumn or 

 leave us for the winter, though some are imdoubtediy 



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