Fieldfare: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Михаил Голомысов · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Turdus pilaris
- Family
- Thrushes
- Size
- About 25 cm
- Habitat
- Open fields, hedges and orchards in winter
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia and North America
The key marks
Big thrush with a grey head and rump, a chestnut back, a black tail and a rusty, spotted breast. Mistle Thrush is plainer grey-brown with no grey rump; Redwing is smaller with a white eyebrow and red flanks.
Voice
A harsh, chattering 'chak-chak-chak'.
Good to know
Flocks from Scandinavia arrive in autumn to feed on berries and windfall apples.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Mistle Thrush. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open fields, hedges and orchards in winter. It is especially common in Poland, Norway and Sweden. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.