Turdidae bird family

Order Passeriformes · 10 selected species

Browse verified BirdLens profiles selected for complete taxonomy, substantial descriptive coverage, and visual evidence. Open a species to compare its identification notes, distribution, behavior, sounds, and maps.

American RobinTurdus migratoriusFairly large songbird with round body, long legs, and longish tail. Gray above with warm orange underparts and blackish head. Hops across lawns and stands erect with its bill often tilted upward. In fall and winter, forms large flocks and gathers in trees to roost or eat berries. Common across North America in gardens, parks, yards, golf courses, fields, pastures, and many other wooded habitats.

Bicknell's ThrushCatharus bicknelliRare and shy thrush which breeds in stunted spruce forests on mountaintops in remote areas of the Maritime Northeast. Infrequently seen during migration and tends to be more secretive than other thrushes, sticking to denser thickets within forests. Brown above with spotted breast and very faint eyering. Small bill with yellow base. Shows a reddish wash on tail and wings, duller than Hermit Thrush, but difficult to judge without excellent view. Nearly identical to Gray-cheeked Thrush, which lacks reddish wash. Voice very similar to Gray-cheeked. Song is a stuttering series of phrases with a notably wiry tone, overall descending but usually with rising final note. Call a high-pitched, piercing "pzeeer". Both song and call overlap completely with Gray-cheeked. No breeding range overlap with other thrushes, but most birds best left unidentified during migration.

Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merulaAdult male distinctive: glossy black overall with bright yellow bill and eyering. Female dark brown overall; slightly paler throat and breast often have faint darker spots and streaks. Juvenile in summer brown overall with pale spots on back, spotted breast; first-year male duller black than adult, with duller yellowish bill. Can be found in wooded habitats, parks, gardens, and farmland with hedges; often feeds in fields and on lawns. Rich caroling song often heard in urban and suburban neighborhoods with trees and hedges. A native of Eurasia and North Africa, introduced to southeastern Australia, New Zealand, and a few surrounding islands.

FieldfareTurdus pilarisRather large, subtly attractive thrush with blue-gray head, dark chestnut-brown back, gray rump, and variable peachy-buff wash on spotted breast. Breeds in forested habitats, often favoring wooded areas adjacent to more open foraging grounds; in winter, found mainly in open woodland, farmland with hedges, orchards, and parkland. Often breeds colonially and sometimes retains social habits on wintering grounds, mixing with Redwings and other thrushes in fields or in fruiting trees. Song is relatively unlovely for a thrush, a series of scratchy and garbled phrases. Call is a dry and powerful “chakchak”, rather like an old camera.

Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimusEthereal song rings through breeding grounds in northern spruce forest; found in thickets and forest understory during migration, when it tends to be shy and hard to find. To distinguish from other Catharus thrushes, note very faint eyering and plain gray face. Small bill with yellow base. Grayer face than Swainson's Thrush and lacks buffy eyering. Nearly identical to Bicknell's Thrush, which shows slight reddish wash to plumage. Song is a stuttering series of descending phrases with a notably wiry tone. Call a high-pitched, piercing "pzeeer."

Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusRather large thrush, gray-brown above and whitish below with rather rounded dark spots; tail has small white corners, lacking in appreciably smaller Song Thrush. In flight, looks rather pale and grayish overall, especially when compared with dark brownish Song Thrush. Found in a variety of wooded habitats, including parks and moorland with hedges and taller trees. Often feeds on larger lawns and grassy verges, often well away from cover. Sweet and rich-sounding warbled song is similar to that of Eurasian Blackbird, and very unlike Song Thrush. Dry rattle calls are distinctive.

RedwingTurdus iliacusRather small, attractive thrush with bold whitish eyebrows, a variable orangey patch on each flank, and a yellow bill base. Shows rusty-orange underwings in flight. Breeds in wooded and forested habitats, especially with birch; in winter found mainly in open woodland, farmland with hedges, orchards, and parkland. Often in flocks, sometimes mixed with Fieldfares and other thrushes, feeding out in fields or in fruiting trees. Rich and lovely song is a series of burbling trills and whistles. Calls include a high buzzing “tseer” and short rattled phrases.

Ring OuzelTurdus torquatusSmart-looking dark thrush with a distinctive pale crescent on the chest; male’s is bright white, female’s is dingier. Adult blackish overall with frosty pale wing edgings. Immature in autumn–winter has a much duller collar. Bill is duller yellow than Eurasian Blackbird, with a dark top edge and tip. Rather shy, flying into cover or far away over slopes when disturbed. Breeds in open highland habitat, including moorland, alpine meadows, rocky mountain sides, and conifer stands. Migrants can turn up in fields and open farmland. Sometimes associated strongly with junipers, especially in non-breeding range. Song is pleasant but simple and repetitive; calls include a low “taktaktak” and a buzzy “zrrp, zrrp.”

Song ThrushTurdus philomelosPlumage brown above and whitish below with droplet-shaped dark spots; breast has rich buffy wash in fresh plumage (mainly autumn–winter). Appreciably smaller, darker overall, and more compact than Mistle Thrush. An inhabitant of wooded habitats, including parks, gardens, and farmland with hedges and taller trees; often feeds on lawns and grassy verges, but usually near cover. Strident song, often heard in suburban neighborhoods, is more prolonged than that of Eurasian Blackbird, and frequently repeats phrases 2-4 times. A native of Eurasia, introduced to southeastern Australia, New Zealand, and a few surrounding islands.