Difference between revisions of "Fieldfare" - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 17:40, 8 December 2014

Photo by robski
Location: Kent, UK

Turdus pilaris

Identification

Length 24-28 cm, weight 81-141 g
Adult

Sexes similar
Grey head
Brown back
Grey rump
Black tail
Breast orangey-brown with dark spots and streaks
Belly whiter, with dark spots and streaks
Underwing white
Black-tipped yellow bill

Juvenile

Duller, browner, and streaked above

Similar species

Mistle Thrush is slightly larger, and uniform grey-brown above; it shares the white underwing. Redwing and Song Thrush are both smaller, brown above, and have red and orange underwings respectively; Redwing also has a white supercilium.

Distribution

Juvenile
Photo by Duck Doc Duck
Trondheim, Norway, June 2013

Breeds throughout central and northern Europe and northern Asia, from eastern France and the Alps north to the whole of Scandinavia, southeast to northern Romania, and east through Russia to the Lena River area in Yakutsk Oblast, eastern Siberia, and also northwestern China. There is also a small breeding population in Greenland (colonised in 1937) and in Iceland (irregular). Breeds irregularly in most years in Britain, but only 'one-off' cases with no regular sites occupied. The first recorded breeding for Bulgaria occurred in 1993. Birds from northeastern Scandinavia and north and east Russia are migratory, and those from the remainder of range partially migratory.

Winter range includes Iceland, the British Isles and southern parts of Sweden and Finland south to the Mediterranean from Iberia to Israel. Rarely reaches northwest Africa but regular in Nile Delta.

Vagrants recorded in Svalbard, Bear Island and Jan Mayen, and also Madeira. The Greenland population has been the source of vagrants to the northeast USA and eastern Canada.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Photo by targetman
Lincolnshire

Breeds in open birch, alder or coniferous woodland, often in damp areas and along rivers. Also in more open, moorland-type habitats with stunted trees and rocky outcrops. On passage and in winter in open scrub with berry-bearing shrubs (mainly hawthorn Crataegus) and on damp and grassy fields interspersed with small woods and hedgerows. In severe weather often attracted to parks and gardens.

Behaviour

Highly gregarious all year. Nests in colonies, where all the birds share in defence against predators – has been known to kill predatory birds as large as buzzards by repeated defecation by every member of the colony on the predator, leaving their plumage so matted as to cause the bird to become chilled. During the winter, forms large mixed flocks with other thrushes (mainly Redwings) and starlings.

Vocalisation

Call: loud chack, chack, chack <flashmp3>Turdus pilaris (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Birdwatchers Pocket Guide ISBN 1-85732-804-3
BF Member observations

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Fieldfare. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Fieldfare

External Links

Search for photos of Fieldfare in the gallery

Search for videos of Fieldfare on BirdForum TV

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ;[[:Category:Turdus|Turdus]] pilaris
 ==Identification==
+Length 24-28 cm, weight 81-141 g <br>
+'''Adult'''
+*Sexes similar
 *Grey head
 *Brown back
 *Grey rump
 *Black tail
-*Underparts orangey-brown with dark streaks
+*Breast orangey-brown with dark spots and streaks
-*Black-tipped yellow bill
+*Belly whiter, with dark spots and streaks
+*Underwing white
+*Black-tipped yellow bill <br>
+'''Juvenile'''
+*Duller, browner, and streaked above
+====Similar species====
+[[Mistle Thrush]] is slightly larger, and uniform grey-brown above; it shares the white underwing. [[Redwing]] and [[Song Thrush]] are both smaller, brown above, and have red and orange underwings respectively; Redwing also has a white supercilium.
 ==Distribution==
 [[Image:Babe in the woods.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|Doc Duck|Doc Duck}}<br />Trondheim, [[Norway]], June 2013]]
-'''Breeds''' in north [[Denmark]] and across virtually the whole of [[Scandinavia]], and from eastern [[France]] and the Alps east across [[Europe]] to the Urals. Breeds in very small numbers most years in [[Scotland]] and has bred elsewhere in [[Britain]] including northern and south-eastern [[England]] and in [[Iceland]]. First recorded breeding for [[Bulgaria]] occurred in 1993. There is also a small breeding population in [[Greenland]].
+'''Breeds''' throughout central and northern [[Europe]] and northern [[Asia]], from eastern [[France]] and the Alps north to the whole of [[Scandinavia]], southeast to northern [[Romania]], and east through [[Russia]] to the Lena River area in Yakutsk Oblast, eastern [[Siberia]], and also northwestern [[China]]. There is also a small breeding population in [[Greenland]] (colonised in 1937) and in [[Iceland]] (irregular). Breeds irregularly in most years in [[Britain]], but only 'one-off' cases with no regular sites occupied. The first recorded breeding for [[Bulgaria]] occurred in 1993. Birds from northeastern Scandinavia and north and east [[Russia]] are migratory, and those from the remainder of range partially migratory.
-Birds from most of [[Scandinavia]] and north and east [[Russia]] are migratory, and those from the remainder of range partially migratory. '''Winter''' range includes [[Iceland]], [[British Isles]] and southern parts of [[Sweden]] and [[Finland]] south to the Mediterranean from [[Iberia]] to [[Israel]] Rarely reaches North-West [[Africa]] but regular in Nile Delta.
+'''Winter''' range includes [[Iceland]], the [[British Isles]] and southern parts of [[Sweden]] and [[Finland]] south to the Mediterranean from [[Iberia]] to [[Israel]]. Rarely reaches northwest [[Africa]] but regular in Nile Delta.
-'''Vagrants''' recorded in [[Svalbard]], Bear Island and Jan Mayen, and also [[Madeira]]. The Greenland population has been the source of vagrants to north-east [[USA]] and [[Canada]].
+'''Vagrants''' recorded in [[Svalbard]], Bear Island and Jan Mayen, and also [[Madeira]]. The Greenland population has been the source of vagrants to the northeast [[USA]] and eastern [[Canada]].
 ==Taxonomy==
 This is a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
@@ Line 20: / Line 29: @@
 ==Habitat==
 [[Image:177K7425.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|targetman|targetman}}<br />[[Lincolnshire]]]]
-Breeds in open birch, alder or coniferous woodland, often in damp areas and along rivers. Also in more open, moorland-type habitats with stunted trees and rocky outcrops. On passage and in winter on damp and grassy fields interspersed with small woods and hedgerows. In severe weather often attracted to parks and gardens.
+Breeds in open birch, alder or coniferous woodland, often in damp areas and along rivers. Also in more open, moorland-type habitats with stunted trees and rocky outcrops. On passage and in winter in open scrub with berry-bearing shrubs (mainly hawthorn ''Crataegus'') and on damp and grassy fields interspersed with small woods and hedgerows. In severe weather often attracted to parks and gardens.
 ==Behaviour==
-Highly gregarious during the winter, forming large mixed flocks of winter thrushes.
+Highly gregarious all year. Nests in colonies, where all the birds share in defence against predators – has been known to kill predatory birds as large as [[:Category:Buteo|buzzards]] by repeated defecation by every member of the colony on the predator, leaving their plumage so matted as to cause the bird to become chilled. During the winter, forms large mixed flocks with other thrushes (mainly [[Redwing]]s) and [[Common Starling|starlings]].
 ====Vocalisation====
 '''Call''': loud ''chack, chack, chack''