Fieldfare

    Turdus pilaris

Castilian: Zorzal real

Catalan: Griva cerdana

Gallego: Tordo real

Euskera: Durdula

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Turdidae

Migratory status: Winter resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

listen song

THREATS

It does not present conservation problems and a certain level of regional growth has even been noted. Nevertheless, it is affected by the loss and deterioration of forest areas and, to a lesser extent, by hunting.

Length / size: 22-27 cm / 39-42 cm

Identification: Large thrush with a stout appearance. Its head and rump are grey, its back and the back of its wing are brown, its underparts are whitish, and it has ochre-coloured spots on its breast and flanks, as well as wedge-shaped dark spots. Up close, its whitish forehead and orange, dark-tipped bill can be observed. In flight its long dark tail and the white panels under its wings stand out.

Song: It is a series of throat-clearing sounds followed by strident notes, without a precise structure, that resembles that of a warbler. In flight it makes "schack-schack" clicking sounds.

Diet: It feeds on seeds, berries and fruits, especially in autumn and winter, and also eats some invertebrates that it finds by removing dead leaves, looking under the snow, or lifting rocks.

Reproduction: In the south, the breeding season begins in April, and in the north, in early June; the species prefers forest areas with abundant undergrowth where it can establish itself along or in small colonies. The female prepares the nest in the bark ridge of a tree, with a cup shape and made of grass, moss, lichens and roots, lined with mud and covered with soft grass. The female is responsible for incubation but both parents care for the chicks.

HABITAT

It prefers coniferous or deciduous forests mixed with shrub-like hedges that guarantee an abundance of fruits, although it can also live in parks or on farms.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is distributed throughout almost the entire peninsula and the Balearic Islands, but it is most common in the northern third.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout all of the provinces.

Movements and migrations: It is a migratory species, although within its breeding areas, only part of the populations moves, and the rest are limited to short movements. It winters in the British Isles and Iceland, the Mediterranean countries of Europe, and the Near East. Specimens from Scandinavia and other central European countries come to the peninsula.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of several thousand wintering specimens, although there are significant annual fluctuations due to harsh winters in northern Europe and the occasional presence of polar air masses.

In Castile and León: