Mistle Thrush

The Mistle Thrush is a large, powerful thrush, notably bigger and greyer than the closely related Song Thrush, and famous for its old country nickname "stormcock" — a reference to its habit of singing loudly from treetops even during blustery, stormy weather.

Appearance

It shows cold grey-brown upperparts and a whitish breast boldly marked with large, rounded blackish spots, quite different from the finer, warmer-toned spotting of the Song Thrush. In flight it reveals whitish underwings and white corners to the tail, and has a distinctive bounding, undulating flight action.

Key Field Marks

• Large size, noticeably bigger than Song Thrush
• Cold grey-brown upperparts, bold rounded black spots on a whitish breast
• Pale, whitish underwing (Song Thrush shows orange-buff)
• White tail corners visible in flight
• Bold, upright stance, often perched high and prominent

Similar Species

Song Thrush is smaller, warmer brown, with finer, denser, more teardrop-shaped spotting and orange-buff (not whitish) underwings. Fieldfare has a grey head and rump with a chestnut back, quite different from the uniformly grey-brown Mistle Thrush, and lacks the bold rounded spotting pattern.

Habitat

Mistle Thrushes favor open habitats with scattered mature trees — parkland, orchards, large gardens, farmland hedgerows, and woodland edges — rather than dense closed forest, often nesting and foraging in fairly exposed, open situations.

Range and Migration

The species breeds across most of Europe, North Africa, and into western and central Asia. Many populations are resident, though northern and some continental birds move south in winter; in autumn, Mistle Thrushes may also form loose flocks to exploit abundant berry crops.

Behavior

Mistle Thrushes are bold and assertive, often vigorously defending berry-laden trees — particularly holly and mistletoe — against other birds in winter, chasing off intruders including much larger species. They forage on open ground with a hopping, upright gait, pausing to look and listen much like the Song Thrush but with a heavier, more deliberate manner.

Voice

The song is loud, far-carrying, and rather wild and fluty, delivered in short phrases from a high, exposed perch, and famously continues even in poor, windy weather — the source of its "stormcock" nickname. The call is a distinctive dry, rattling chatter, quite different from any other European thrush.

Nesting and Breeding

The nest, built early in the year often before trees have leafed out, is a bulky cup of grass, moss, and mud placed in a tree fork, sometimes quite exposed. The female lays 3-5 eggs, incubating them for about 12-15 days, and pairs defend the nest aggressively, sometimes even against birds of prey.