# Thrushes (*turdidae*) Thrushes are beautiful birds that sing lovely songs! They love to hop around in gardens and forests looking for tasty insects and berries. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Habitat:** Thrushes can be found in forests, gardens, and parks across many regions. - **Also known as:** Songbird ![Thrushes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Turdus_viscivorus_Brych_y_coed.jpg&width=800) Photo: Alun Williams333, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turdus_viscivorus_Brych_y_coed.jpg) ## Appearance The Thrushes are medium-sized songbirds, often plump-bodied with soft brown, grey, or olive plumage. Many species, especially juveniles, feature distinct spotting or streaking on their pale undersides, contrasting with their generally plainer backs. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Turdidae - **Genus:** Catharus ## Interesting facts - A thrush's powerful leg muscles allow it to hop quickly across the ground while searching for food. - Baby thrushes can grow all their flight feathers in just two weeks after hatching! - Some thrush species can sing two different notes at the same time, making their songs extra rich! - They often perform a 'stop-run' foraging technique to find worms in the grass. ## Special abilities - **Sonic Surveyor:** Thrushes can tilt their heads and use keen hearing to locate hidden worms and insects underground. - **Melody Master:** Thrushes have complex vocal cords that help them produce beautiful, flute-like songs to attract mates and defend territory. - **Seed Spreader:** Thrushes help new plants grow by eating fruits and then dispersing the seeds in their droppings far away. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 16-30 cm - **Wingspan:** 30-48 cm - **Weight:** 0.04-0.15 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-10 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-6 - **Incubation:** 12-14 days ## Diet & Feeding Thrushes are omnivores, mostly eating insects and berries they find on the ground or in trees. - **Primary Foods:** Earthworms, Beetles, Caterpillars, Berries, Snails - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Domestic cats prey on thrushes, especially ground-nesting young. - **Eats:** Common Earthworm (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — Thrushes eat earthworms, a primary food source, especially in spring. - **Eats:** [Red Raspberry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-raspberry) (*Rubus idaeus*) — Thrushes eat the fruits of raspberries, helping to disperse their seeds. - **Parasitizes:** [Brown-headed Cowbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-headed-cowbird) (*Molothrus ater*) — Cowbirds lay eggs in thrush nests, having thrushes raise their young. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Thrushes? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Thrushes? 16-30 cm ### What is Thrushes's wingspan? 30-48 cm ### How much does Thrushes weigh? 0.04-0.15 kg ### How long does Thrushes live? 2-10 years ### How fast can Thrushes move? 50 km/h ### What does Thrushes eat? Thrushes are omnivores, mostly eating insects and berries they find on the ground or in trees. ### Where is Thrushes usually found? Thrushes can be found in forests, gardens, and parks across many regions. ## Where to spot - [Craig Lake State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/craig-lake-state-park) — Michigan, US · State Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Thrushes: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/thrushes)