Family

Thrushes

Turdidae

Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat rose hips. Most species are grey or brown in colour, often with speckled underparts.

They are insectorous, but most species also eat worms, snails, and fruit. Many species are permanently resident in warm climes, while other migrate to higher latitudes during summer, often over considerable distances.

Thrushes build cup-shaped nests, sometimes lining them with mud. They lay two to five speckled eggs, sometimes laying two or more clutches per year. Both parents help in raising the young.

The songs of some species are considered to be among the most beautiful in the avian world.

Genera

• Catharus
• Myadestes
• Hylocichla
• Turdus
• Zoothera
• Ixoreus
• Ridgwayia