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Photo: Fernando Losada Rodríguez · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
Turdus viscivorus
Mistle Thrush
A large spotted thrush often singing from an exposed treetop.
A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.
I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE
Finding guide
Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.
- When to go
- All year
- Where to start
- Edges between mature trees and open grass; keep away from nests.
- What to do when you arrive
- Search open lawns near mature trees for a larger thrush. Compare its upright stance and round belly spots with Song Thrush rather than relying on song alone.
Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.
How to identify it
Grey-brown above with round dark spots on a whitish belly, an upright stance, white underwings and pale tail corners. Larger and greyer than Song Thrush.
Habitat
Open woodland, parks, large gardens and woodland edges.
Behaviour
Feeds on lawn invertebrates and may defend berry-bearing trees in winter.
When to look
All year
Where to look
Edges between mature trees and open grass; keep away from nests.
Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.
Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · Wikipedia ↗
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