Song Thrush Food & Bird Essentials

The Song Thrush is at present a rare sight for British birdwatchers and it may be another species that has suffered from changes in farming practice. Over enthusiastic gardeners may also have contributed to the loss by overuse of slug pellets and other pesticides.

Only fifty years ago, the Song Thrush was perhaps the most common of the thrushes we could expect to visit or nest in our gardens and it was quite common to witness the bird breaking into a snail's shell by bashing it onto a large stone.

It is quite easy to identify being slightly larger than the Redwing and smaller than the Mistle Thrush. It has even brown upper parts and buff under parts spotted brown. Its under wing colour is pale yellowish-brown. Like the Blackbird, it is also a beautiful and melodious singer, its song being recognised by the repetition of phrases two or three times before starting on another.

Song Thrushes are mainly insectivorous taking invertebrates such as worms, slug, snails and any insects they may come across when turning over leaf litter or probing under stones. They will also take hedgerow fruits and occasionally pick up the odd seed.

In harsh weather, they will be attracted to garden feeders by other birds and will take food that has fallen on the ground. In snowy weather, they will join Blackbirds and Fieldfares feeding on fallen fruit such as apples but will also take bird food when it is very cold. Haith's Prosecto Insectivorous Mix and Golden Chorus spread on the ground and Songster Food are accepted in prolonged spells of bad weather.

Try these bird foods:

Song Thrush Food & Bird Essentials - Haith's