Bird Guide

Clay-colored Thrush vs Mistle Thrush

Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi)

Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

Medium80 gForest

In general appearance and habits it resembles other Turdus thrushes such as the American robin. It is about the same length or slightly smaller: 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in), and weighs 74–76 g (2.6–2.7 oz) on average. The plumage is brownish, somewhat lighter below than above, lightest on the flanks. Birds from humid regions are darker than those from dry regions. The throat is faintly streaked. Immature birds have faint mottling on the back and underparts. Voice: The song, rather low-pitched and with a slow steady tempo, consists of many slurred musical phrases which are often repeated irregularly. The tock flight call is like the American robin's but harsher. T. grayi's dry season mating call is quite region-specific, with noticeable differences in calls just a few hundred miles apart.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Clay-colored Thrush
Recorded by Alfonso Auerbach · Song · Colonia Lomas del Toncontin , Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán, Honduras · CC0
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Mistle Thrush

Turdus viscivorus

Medium117 gForest

The mistle thrush is the largest thrush native to Europe. The nominate subspecies measures 27–28 cm (11–11 in) in length, with a 45 cm (18 in) wingspan. It weighs 93 to 167 g (3.3 to 5.9 oz), with an average of around 130 g (4.6 oz). It has a stocky upright posture when on the ground. It has pale grey-brown upperparts, the chin and throat are greyish-white, and the yellowish-buff breast and off-white belly are marked with round black spots. The spotting becomes denser on the lower chest. The long tail has white tips on the outer feathers, and the underwing coverts are white. Voice: The male mistle thrush has a loud melodious song with fluted whistles, sounding like chewee-trewuu ... trureetruuruu or similar, repeated three to six times, and used to advertise his territory, attract a mate and maintain the pair bond. The tone resembles that of the song thrush or blackbird, but compared to its relatives the mistle thrush's repertoire is less varied and the delivery is slower.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Mistle Thrush
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Flight call · Vains, Manche, Normandy, France · CC0
Photo: Katie Scholan · CC BY 4.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Clay-colored Thrush and Mistle Thrush.