The Wildlife of
Cragside

 
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Thrushes and Chats - The Mistle Thrush

First seen on Sunday 27th October 2019 at Cragside

The Mistle Thrush is the most difficult member of the thrush family to identify, as it looks very similar to the more common Song Thrush. Mistle Thrushes can occasionally be seen flying around the treetops, or feeding on the lawns and meadows. They have a dry, rattling call, which can alert you to their presence.

The Mistle Thrush is larger, greyer, and more upright than the Song Thrush, but this is of little help unless you see the two together. The most obvious difference is the spot pattern. Song thrushes have a regular, even pattern of spots, whereas the Mistle Thrush's spots tend to be more unevenly spaced and will often touch and overlap, especially near the top of the wings. If you can get a good view, the wing feathers have pale fringes.