Mistle Thrush Call MP3s
Contact and alarm audio for Europe's largest thrush, a species with only narrow, localized hunting exceptions.
Also known as
Recordings (4)
About this species
A passerine songbird measuring roughly 28 cm, the Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is unmistakable — the largest European thrush, pale and greyish with large, bold breast spots. It favours open woodland, parkland and large gardens with scattered tall trees.
It sings a loud, wild, rattling song from a bare treetop, often in the teeth of a winter gale. It defends berry-laden trees through winter, with a special liking for mistletoe and holly. It sings defiantly from high perches in the worst winter weather, earning the name 'storm cock'. From breeding grounds across Europe to Mediterranean and African wintering areas, its seasonal journeys mark the turning year.
Legal use
Unlike its close relatives Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, and Song Thrush, the Mistle Thrush is not on Italy's national huntable-species list, and it is only taken under a narrow historic derogation in a handful of southeastern France departments (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), tied specifically to traditional glue-stick (limestick) trapping for use as live decoys rather than open shooting seasons. Across the great majority of its European and wider range it is treated as a protected, non-quarry songbird. For this species, this product is intended primarily for identification, birdwatching, and lawful decoy/deterrent use rather than general hunting — always confirm current local status before any field use, and see our full country-by-country disclaimer for details.