TURDIDAE of Australasia
Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. Most species are gray or brown in color, often with speckled underparts. Even if the adults do not have these speckles, the juveniles often will. They are insectivorous, but most species also eat worms, snails, and fruit. 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.
[abstracted from Wikipedia]
[abstracted from Wikipedia]
The True Thrushes
Order Passeriformes Family Turdidae
Many of the "true thrushes" have songs that are very pleasing to humans. A good example is the common blackbird that is occurs naturally in Europe, Asia, Africa and has been intrioduced into Australia and New Zealand. Another popular true thrush is the American Robin, which is unrelated to the European Robin which is not even a thrush. The true thrushes are medium sized brids.
Genus Turdus
Blackbird aka Common Blackbird Turdus merula Found: Europe, Asia, Africa. Introduced: Australiasia
Blackbirds are related to song thrushes (Turdus philomelos) and also have a wonderful song.
1) Female 2) Juvenile 3, 4) Male 4) Demonstrates partial albinism which is not uncommon.
Thrush, Song Turdus philomelos Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia (introduced)
Photographed by: 1) DIck Daniels - Scotland 2, 3) DIck Daniels - Scotland
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