The Mistle Thrush is the most difficult member of the thrush family to identify, as it looks very similar to the Song Thrush. The Song Thrush is very common at Croome, and the one you are most likely to see. 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 (as in the photo below), the wing feathers have pale fringes.

Sometimes, the Mistle Thrush can look very much like a Song Thrush, as in the photo below. However, if you look carefully, its spots are oval and the Song Thrush has spots shaped like arrow heads. You can also see its grey back and the wing feathers have white edges.

For comparison, here is a photo of the Song Thrush