Fieldfare
Turdus pilaris
Habitat
Ground
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
106 g
About This Species
A large, boldly patterned thrush that arrives in noisy flocks to strip berries from hawthorn and rowan hedgerows, often mixed with redwings. Listen for a harsh, chattering 'chack-chack-chack' call given in flight or as a flock moves between trees. Late autumn through winter is the best time to see them, especially after a hedgerow berry crop, when flocks can number in the hundreds on open farmland and orchards.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- These are wary, flighty birds that will move off well before you get close, so a stationary watch from a hedge line or vehicle usually works better than a direct approach.
- General wildlife protection law in the countries they winter in prohibits deliberate disturbance of birds at nest sites, though this species is not currently considered threatened.
- Watching from a distance with binoculars avoids repeatedly flushing a feeding flock away from a scarce berry supply in cold weather.
LCAvesPasseriformesTurdidae
Seasonal Activity
2,530,079 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 106 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.