Turdus viscivorus
Britain's largest thrush, singing defiantly from treetops in wild weather.
Size: 27 cm | Habitat: Garden Birds | Season: All year
Larger and greyer than a song thrush, the mistle thrush has bold, rounded spots on a pale breast and a bulkier, more upright build. It's famous for singing from an exposed treetop perch even in wind and rain.
Large size, grey-brown upperparts · bold round spots on pale breast · white underwing, visible in flight · upright stance, bounding flight
Mistle thrushes fiercely defend berry-laden trees, especially holly and mistletoe, chasing off other birds through winter to guard their own private larder.
The mistle thrush's old country name, 'stormcock', comes from its habit of singing loudly from an exposed perch even in gales and heavy rain, when most other birds fall silent.
The Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is Britain's largest thrush, larger and greyer than the closely related song thrush, with bold, rounded spots across a pale breast and a bulkier, more upright build.
Mistle thrushes are notably combative around food, fiercely defending a single berry-laden tree, especially holly or mistletoe, chasing off blackbirds, redwings, and even much larger birds through the winter months to guard their private larder. Their loud, far-carrying song is often delivered from an exposed treetop perch even in strong wind and heavy rain, earning the species its old country name, 'stormcock'.
Understanding the mistle thrush's steep decline, despite its size and boldness, is a sobering reminder that even large, confident, once-familiar garden birds are not immune to the wider pressures facing British wildlife.
🔴 Conservation status: Red (UK Birds of Conservation Concern 5)
Red-listed. Mistle thrush numbers have declined significantly across the UK in recent decades, for reasons that aren't fully understood but may include changes in farmland and garden habitat and reduced food availability. Once a familiar songster in most gardens and parks, it's become a much scarcer sight than a generation ago.