Song Thrush vs Mistle Thrush
How to tell these two garden look-alikes apart.
The quickest tell. Song Thrush: small, neat arrowhead spots in tidy rows down a buff-washed breast. Mistle Thrush: bold round spots scattered at random, often merging into a dark blotch at the side of the breast.
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos
How to spot it
- Small, neat arrowhead spots in tidy rows down a buff-washed breast
- Warm brown above and cream below: richer, browner tones than a Mistle Thrush
- Smaller and rounder, with a gentle round head
Birder's tip: The spots are small, dark and arrowhead-shaped, lined up in neat rows on a warm buff breast.
Photo: Frank Sengpiel, CC BY (iNaturalist)
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorus
How to spot it
- Bold round spots scattered at random, often merging into a dark blotch at the side of the breast
- Bigger, greyer and colder-toned than a Song Thrush, with a whiter breast
- Tall, long-tailed and upright, with a small-headed, pot-bellied look
Birder's tip: Round, messy spots that merge into blotches, never the neat rows of a Song Thrush.
At a glance
| Song Thrush | Mistle Thrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | smaller than a Blackbird | larger than a Blackbird |
| When you'll see it | Resident, here all year | Resident, here all year |
| Latin name | Turdus philomelos | Turdus viscivorus |
Hear the difference
Their calls are often the giveaway. Have a listen.
Song Thrush call
Mistle Thrush call
Learn them so they stick
Learn Birds teaches the UK's birds by sight and song, with real photos and recordings. It uses spaced repetition so the difference sticks for good.
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