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Song Thrush Turdus philomelos [CL Brehm, 1831]

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Page updated:16-January-2013

	Order: Passeriformes	Family: Turdidae
	BTO Codes: ST, SONTH	EURING No: 12000
	Number in Britain: 1 million territories (Summer)
	Conservation Status:
	UK: RED
	European: Not a species of concern
	Global: (Details)
Links to: Images Videos Sound
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Status in UK: (A) Migrant/Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies: hebridensis (RB), clarkei (RBW), philomelos (W) recorded in Britain (of 4 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 23 cm	Wingspan: 34 cm	Weight: M/F: 83 g

Scientific name from:	L.: turdus=a thrush and after Philomela, in Greek myth, who was turned into a nighingale (from philos=lover + melos=song)
World Distribution:	Europe & w Asia, INTRODUCED: Australia

Habitat:	Woodland, scrub, towns
Diet:	Invertebrates esp. earthworms, fruit, snails during drought/hard weather
TitBit:	As its name suggests this bird is an accomplished songster, easily recognised by its habit of repeating phrases (each individual has about 100 to draw on); so much so that settlers took it to the Antipodes to remind them of home, although they did not thrive in Australia they are now one of the commonest garden birds in New Zealand.

Population and Distribution

	Population Trend:	BirdTrends
	Regional Trends:	Scotland Wales England English Regions
	Distribution:	Atlas Maps BBS Maps
	Abundance Maps:	Population Density Change in Density Guide to Interpretation

British Population Size:

Summer: 1 million territories in 2000 Baker, H. et al. (2006) British Birds 99:25-44

First Record: Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times Bircham, P. 2007. A history of ornithology, Collins. [805 BIR]

[Fossil evidence from

Conservation Status: RED because Recent Breeding Population Decline (1969-2007), Eaton, M.A. et al. 2009. British Birds 102:296-341

Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 RED Gregory, R.D. et al. 2002. British Birds 95:410-448

1996-2001 RED Gibbons, D.W. et al. 1996. RSPB Conservation Review 10:7-18

Races of Concern: hebridensis RED (International Concern), clarkei RED (Recent Decline), philomelos GREEN

UK Biodiversity Action Plan (Lead Partner: RSPB)

Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):

Most frequent in: Deciduous Wood

Also common in: Scrub, Villages, Coniferous Wood

And found in: Pasture Farmland, Towns

Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:

Migration routes: Map of foreign ringing recoveries and summary map from Time to Fly (in pop-up windows)

European Population Size:

Summer: 14 to 26 million pairs (Trend in Numbers) Bufield, I. & Van Bommel, F. (2004) Birds in Europe. Birdlife International, Cambridge.

Population Assesment from Birds in Europe

Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas

Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(III), WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II)

Survey Results:	Results from BirdTrack
	Results from Garden BirdWatch
	Results from the Winter Farmland Bird Survey

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 27 x 20 mm

Egg Weight: 6.0 g (of which 6 % is shell)

Number of Nest Records: 689

Clutch Size: 4 eggs

4.10 ± 0.67 (2 - 7) N = 5910 British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data

Incubation: 14- 15 days

14.18 ± 1.23 (12 - 16.5) N = 5910

by the: Female

Fledging: 14 - 15days

14.01 ± 1.15 (12 - 15.5) N = 6367

as: Altricial, downy Altricial birds remain in the nest, precocial birds leave the nest soon after hatching

Source:

British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data

First Clutches Laid: 21 Apr (21 Mar - 21 Jun) Joys & Crick 2004 Breeding periods for bird species in England BTO, Thetford

Number of Broods: 2-3(4)

See trends in Breeding Productivity

Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.563 ± 0.007
Juvenile Survival: 0.463 (in First-Year)

Age at First Breeding: 1 year	Typical Lifespan: 3 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 10 years 8 months 29 days (set in 1991)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics
Ring Size: CC
Wing Length	Adult:	119.1 ± 3.2 Range 103.0 - 133.0 mm, (N = 12726)
	Juvenile:	118.5 ± 2.9 Range 103.0 - 134.0 mm, (N = 46150)
	Male:	120.0 ± 3.2 Range 106.0 - 133.0 mm, (N = 2915)
	Female:	117.9 ± 2.9 Range 104.0 - 129.0 mm, (N = 2063)

Weight	Adult:	74.73 ± 7.81 Range 45.70 - 102.0 g , (N =10489)
	Juvenile:	70.9 ± 6.8 Range 43.0 - 99.2 . , (N =39449)
	Male:	70.86 ± 6.84 Range 54.00 - 98.00 g , (N =1669)
	Female:	77.54 ± 4.65 Range 52.00 - 99.50 g , (N =2339)
	Seasonal:	Summer 73.12 ± 6.26 (N = 10045) Autumn 73.17 ± 6.67 (N = 4246) Winter 79.86 ± 8.32 (N = 6250)
	Source:	British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names


Gaelic: Smeòrach	Welsh: Bronfraith
Danish: Sangdrossel	Dutch: Zanglijster
Finnish: Laulurastas	French: Grive musicienne
German: Singdrossel	Hungarian: Énekes rigó
Icelandic: Söngþröstur	Irish: Smólach Ceoil
Italian: Tordo	Norwegian: Måltrost
Polish: Drozd spiewak (spiewak)	Portuguese: Tordo-comum
Spanish: Zorzal común	Swedish: Taltrast

Local Names:Mavis

For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Simms, E. 1978 British Thrushes Collins, London [598.911 SIM]
Sheeham, A. 1976 The Song Thrush Angus & Robertson
Simms, E. 1989 The Song Thrush Shire Publications, Princes Risborough [Jour: S]

See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos [CL Brehm, 1831]

Population and Distribution

Breeding and Survival

Biometrics

Other Names

For More Information...

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