Mistle Thrush

The Mistle Thrush is the biggest thrush regularly encountered across much of Europe, noticeably larger and more upright than the closely related Song Thrush, with a bolder, more strongly marked plumage pattern.

It favors open parkland, large gardens, and farmland with mature trees, often perching prominently and singing from high, exposed treetops even in poor weather.

A Mistle Thrush feather is distinguished from the smaller Song Thrush by larger, more rounded blackish spots on the underparts, a colder grey-brown tone above, whitish (rather than buff) underwing feathers, and white corners on the outer tail feathers.

Underpart feathers

• Cream to whitish background marked with large, bold, rounded blackish spots, more sparsely distributed and much larger than those of a Song Thrush.

Underwing feathers

• Underwing coverts are whitish, lacking the buff-orange wash seen in Song Thrush.

Upperpart feathers

• Back and wing feathers show a colder, greyer brown tone compared to the warmer brown of Song Thrush.

Tail feathers

• Outer tail feathers show white corners or tips, a feature useful when an isolated tail feather is found.

Confusion species

Song Thrush is smaller with smaller, spear-shaped spots and a buff underwing; Fieldfare shows a grey head and chestnut back rather than the more uniform grey-brown tone of Mistle Thrush.

Adults are grey-brown above with cream to whitish underparts boldly marked with large, rounded blackish spots, whitish underwing coverts, and white corners on the outer tail feathers. Males and females look alike.

Juveniles show pale spotting on the back in addition to the spotted underparts, fading after the first molt.

Mistle Thrushes undergo a complete post-breeding molt, typically in summer.

Mistle Thrushes favor open woodland, parkland, large gardens, and farmland with scattered mature trees, often seen perched prominently or feeding on open ground.

The species is resident across much of its western and southern European range, with some northern and eastern populations migrating short distances for winter.

Mistle Thrushes feed on invertebrates and, particularly in autumn and winter, berries, sometimes aggressively defending a favored berry-bearing tree from other birds. They are bold and can be quite vocal.

Their song is loud and far-carrying, often delivered from an exposed treetop perch even in windy or wet weather, giving rise to old folk names referencing storms. They build a bulky cup nest in a tree fork.

A large, bold-spotted cream feather with a whitish underwing and cold grey-brown upperpart tone, found in open parkland or farmland, points to Mistle Thrush rather than Song Thrush.