AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

1. Turdus viscivorus

1. MISTLETOE THRUSH.
TURDUS VISCIVORUS.
Turdus viscivorus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 291 (1766) ; Naumunn, ii. p. 248, Taf. 66 ; Hewitson, i. p. 79, pl. xxiii. fig. 1 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pl. 77 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pl. 32 ; Newton, i. p. 258 ; Dresser, ii. p. 3, pl. 1 ; Oates, F. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 148 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. O. p. 286 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 191 ; Saunders, p, 1 ; Lilford, iii. p. 80, pl. 40.
Draine, Grive de gui, French ; Tordeira, Portuguese ; Charla Drena, Spanish ; Tordela, Italian ; Mistel-Drossel, German ; Groote Lijster, Dutch ; Mistel-Drossel, Danish ; Duetrost, Norwegian ; Dubbel-Trast, Swedish ; Kulo-rastas, Rossa-rastas, Finnish ; Drozd-Deryaba, Russian.
Male ad. (England). Above greyish brown, inclining to olivaceous ; beneath buffy white, boldly spotted with blackish brown ; eye-streak obsolete ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pure white. Culmen 0.9, wing 6.0, tail 4.8, tarsus 1.3 inch. Sexes alike. The nestling is spotted and streaked above with golden buff.
Hab. N. and Central Europe and Asia as far east as Lake Baikal ; in winter south to N. Africa, Persia, Turkestan, and N.W. Himalayas.
Frequents woods, orchards, and cultivated districts, and is, as a rule, somewhat shy. It feeds on insects, snails, worms, and, m winter, on berries of various kinds, and seems to be the species most partial to the mistletoe, its fondness for which is shown by its ancient Greek name, given by Aristotle. Its call-note is loud and harsh, and its song, which is clear and high-toned, may be heard as early as January or February. Its breeding-range in Europe extends from Greece and Southern Spain to about 68° N. lat. The nest, usually placed on the branch of a tree, often at a considerable height, is constructed of twigs, bents, moss, &c., the foundation plastered with mud, and is lined with line grass, rootlets, and, occasionally, moss. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are reddish grey or brownish olive, marked with purplish brown or dark reddish brown, and measure about 1.32 by 0.9. They are frequently deposited in February, and both sexes share in the task of incubation The Himalayan form. T. hodgsoni, Homeyer, is, as a rule, rather larger and paler in colour, but on comparing a series I find no specific difference between specimens from the Himalayas and Europe.

BookTitle: 
A Manual Of Palaearctic Birds
Reference: 
Dresser, Henry Eeles. A Manual of Palaearctic Birds. Vol. 1. 1902.
Title in Book: 
1. Turdus viscivorus
Book Author: 
H. E. Dresser
CatNo: 
1
Year: 
1902
Page No: 
1
Common name: 
Mistletoe Thrush
M_ID: 
27410
M_CN: 
Mistle Thrush
M_SN: 
Turdus viscivorus
Volume: 
Vol. 1
Term name: 
id: 
10548

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