Fieldfare

Turdus pilaris

Genus · Typical Thrushes Family · Thrushes
Observation tips Difficulty: EASY
Best time
🕒 Any
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Best months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Observation habitat
Berry bearing treesFarmlandLawnsNesting colonies

Look for the grey head and grey rump as the bird flies away. In winter, they often mix with Redwing flocks.

Fieldfare
Stats
Wingspan39–44 cm
Weight80–145 g
Length22–28 cm
Lifespan wild3–18 yrs
Size
XS
S
M
L
XL
Nesting
Nest typeCup
Clutch size4–6 eggs
Incubation11–14 days
Breeding months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Regional Status (Europe)
LC
Least Concern (Europe)
IUCN Red List
MigrationPartial migratory
Social BehaviourFlocking

Diet: Omnivore

🫐Berries
🍎Fruits
🦗Insects
🐌Snails
🪱Worms

Habitat

🚜 Farmland🌲 Forest coniferous🌳 Forest deciduous🍎 Orchard🏙️ Urban
✦ Fun Fact

Fieldfares breed primarily in Scandinavia, with occasional southern breeding records in recent decades, though these remain rare and localised.

About

A large, colorful, and social thrush. It is a winter visitor that arrives in noisy flocks from the north. It has a slate-grey head and rump with a chestnut-brown back. Its breast is apricot-orange and heavily spotted. It lives in open country and orchards.

Behaviour

Fieldfares are bold and aggressive when defending berry bushes. Their flight call is a dry, rattling 'chack-chack-chack'. They use communal defense against predators. The entire flock may 'bombard' an intruder with droppings to force it away.

Similar species

Mistle Thrush
🐦
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorus
Song Thrush
🐦
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos
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