Family Reference
Thrushes & Robins
Turdidae — robins, blackbirds, bluebirds, and their relatives, the most musical birds in most gardens.
The Complete Thrushes & Robins Guide: Family Reference for the Turdidae
Field reference to Turdidae: taxonomy, identification, song, American vs European robin confusion, breeding biology, and feeder preferences.
Read the guide →Species & Profiles
All articles in this section
American Robin vs European Robin: Two Birds, One Name
Not closely related. American Robin is a large thrush of North America; European Robin is a small chat of Eurasia. The shared name comes from a passing resemblance in breast colour.
Eastern vs Western Bluebird: The Throat Colour Decides
Throat colour is the single most reliable mark separating Eastern and Western Bluebird. Range, back colour, and habitat reinforce the ID across the contact zone in the southern Rockies.
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina): Identification, Song & Conservation Decline
Field profile of Hylocichla mustelina: identification, paired flute song, mature-forest ecology, nest biology, and long decline from fragmentation.
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana): Identification & Nest Box Use
Field profile of Sialia mexicana: identification, oak and pine habitat, cooperative breeding, nest box use, diet, and separation from Mountain Bluebird.
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos): The Yard-defending Polyglot
Field profile of Mimus polyglottos: identification, white wing flashes, mimicry, territorial defence, diet, breeding, and urban yard behaviour.
Common Blackbird (Turdus merula): The Garden's Other Robin
Field profile of Turdus merula: identification, fluted song, garden ecology, dimorphism, nesting, diet, and comparison with American Robin.
Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus): Identification & Migration
Field profile of Catharus ustulatus: buff spectacles, upward-spiralling song, nocturnal migration, forest habitat, and garden records in passage.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius): Identification, Song & Garden Behaviour
Field profile of Turdus migratorius: identification, lawn head-cocking, diet, garden behaviour, and why American Robin is unlike European Robin.
Redwing (Turdus iliacus): Winter Thrush of British Hedgerows
Field profile of Turdus iliacus: identification, red flanks, seeip nocturnal flight call, winter hedgerow ecology, breeding range, and garden fruit use.
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus): Identification, Song & Tail-flicking
Field profile of Catharus guttatus: identification, ethereal song, migration timing, winter range, and tail-flicking that separates spotted thrushes.
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus): The Storm Cock
Field profile of Turdus viscivorus: identification, storm-season song, open parkland habitat, mistletoe defence, breeding, and separation from Song Thrush.
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos): Identification, Song & Snail Anvils
Field profile of Turdus philomelos: identification, repeated phrases, British distribution, garden foraging, breeding, and stone anvils for snails.
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis): The Mimic of the Hedge
Field profile of Dumetella carolinensis: identification, mewing call, mimicry, thicket habitat, diet, nesting, migration, and garden-edge behaviour.
Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides): Open-country Cavity Nester
Field profile of Sialia currucoides: sky-blue plumage, open-country range, hovering foraging, cavity nesting, nest boxes, and western movements.
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius): The Pacific Northwest's Winter Robin
Field profile of Ixoreus naevius: identification, single-note song, Pacific forest range, winter irruptions, feeding behaviour, and robin confusion.
Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis): Identification, Nest Boxes & Recovery
Field profile of Sialia sialis: identification, nest box dimensions, placement, population recovery, and garden attraction.
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula): Garden Companion of the Old World
Field profile of Erithacus rubecula: identification, year-round territorial song, garden behaviour, nesting, diet, and robin naming confusion.
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris): Nordic Winter Visitor in Apple Orchards
Field profile of Turdus pilaris: identification, winter flocks, Nordic breeding range, orchard feeding, colonial nesting, and hard-weather movements.