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Song thrush - a bird of small size, belonging to the family of passerine, as a rule, birds of this species keep alone or gather in small flocks. The main diet of thrushes - small insects, worms, seeds and various berries. The average life expectancy of representatives of this species is 14-15 years.
These birds are most common in Europe. This species willingly settles in new territories, therefore, often singing thrush can be found in urban park zones and gardens.
Behavior features
The main nesting place of such birds of the family of blackbirds is the territory located in the northern and central part of Europe, as well as western Siberia. The eastern and northern colonies of birds migrate to warmer areas in the winter hut.
In the air, a song thrush is kept straight; after a closer look, you can see the inside of the wing with a characteristic ocher color, which, in fact, makes this species different from waxwings.
The feather cover of the bird has a rather modest color: the back is brownish, the belly is white, the nadhvost is gray, with a border.
The length of the feet of a song thrush is quite large in contrast to similar species, because of which the bird walks straight. Birds find food mainly on the surface of a stalk, overcoming rather long distances, making jumps or running. During stops, the thrush often tilts its little head to the side, which makes it seem like the bird is listening to something. In fact, he examines the feeding area in search of food, which is caused by the lateral position of the eyes.
Bird voice
Lifestyle
The main habitat of song thrushes is forests of any type (deciduous, coniferous, mixed). Often, these birds settle in and near agricultural land, quickly getting used to the constant presence of man. In mountainous terrain representatives of this species of birds are extremely rare, they nest no higher than the upper part of the forest border.
Singing thrushes that live in the central part of Europe are migratory species, and they usually return to their nesting site with the onset of the first warm days (end, February, beginning of March).
Power Features
Singing thrushes are unpretentious in feeding birds, eating a wide variety of food. The diet of these birds depends on some factors - the place of nesting, time of year, as well as climatic conditions. The main food for birds in early spring are mainly earthworms. Further, caterpillars, snails, spiders, small bugs are added to the diet. In the summer, these birds eat more plant seeds, small fruits,berries - it helps the thrush to stock up with the necessary energy for a quick flight to warm countries for the winter hut.
Breeding features
Song thrush songs are not only a favorite activity of this bird, but also a great way to attract females and mark the boundaries of their own territory.
Encountering its rival, the thrush, as a rule, pulls the neck forward, pulls up the tail, and spreads its tail, which should frighten the competitor. Before the female, the thrush performs a kind of dance - running from one side to the other, folding and spreading his fan-shaped tail.
For nesting birds choose mostly dense thickets of bushes or areas with densely located tall trees, placing the nest at a height of several meters from the ground. The nest form itself is cup-like, the birds build their houses from branches, vegetation and moss; clay is used to strengthen the structure with pieces of branches and animal feces.
The number of eggs in the clutch does not exceed 5 pieces. Future offspring female incubates independently (the duration of the incubation period is about 14 days).Chicks that have appeared to the world get up on the wing already after 2 weeks.
Interesting Facts
To date, there are only six species of birds of the family of thrushes living on the territory of European countries, including the song thrush, which is very similar to such a species as a waxwing. It differs from it in its characteristic white edging on the tail and wings.
A song performed by a song thrush is very easy to distinguish from the sounds made by other species of birds. As a rule, the thrushes thrill harmoniously intertwine with the singing of other songbirds, representatives of this species usually perform their intricate trills, comfortably sitting on the top of shrubs or tall trees. This species also has its favorite tunes, which the individual periodically repeats.
Note that the singing repertoire of some birds of this species is so extensive that the same motive can be repeated only after a few dozen musical phrases, which is why these birds are called forest nightingales.
Often, the birds arrange serious battles in their feeding areas, figuring out who will get the most delicious food or more of it.
This kind of birds like thrushes acclimatized well in Australia after it was introduced there. After that, these birds appeared in New Zealand.
At present, the population of songbirds is not in danger; this is due to the sufficient distribution of this species throughout Europe and its excellent possibilities for adaptation, distribution in new territories.
Video: song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
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