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Fieldfare

Turdus pilarisOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Thrushes (Turdidae)
Codes: Common Name: FIEL Scientific Name: TURPIL ITIS Taxonomic No.: 179766
Least Concern
 
Fieldfare Breeding Male
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Overview

Fieldfare: Large, robin-like thrush with rufous back with gray head and rump. Underparts are brown-barred white on breast and sides, and white on belly. Wings are rufous. Tail is dark gray to black. The bill is yellow with a dark tip. Strong and fast flight on rapidly beating wings.

Range and Habitat

Fieldfare: Occurs widely, often in large numbers, in most of central and southern Europe in winter; also common in Siberia and Greenland. Casual in Alaska and accidental elsewhere in North America; preferred habitats include woods and woodland edges in summer and open country, fields, and agricultural areas in winter.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"shak-shak-shak"

Interesting Facts

 The Fieldfare was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 under its current scientific name.

 The English name, dating back to at least the twelfth century, derives from the Anglo-Saxon feld-fere meaning "traveller through the fields", probably from their constantly moving, foraging habits.

 Unusual for a thrush, they often nest in small colonies, possibly for protection from large crows.

 A group of fieldfares are collectively known as a "flock" of fieldfares.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Splitbar
Range Map for Fieldfare

Related Birds

Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
Aztec Thrush
Eyebrowed Thrush
Dusky Thrush
Redwing
.
Family Thrush (Turdidae)_blue
Species Turdus pilaris
Length9.5 - 10.5 Inches
Wingspan15.5 Inches

Fieldfare

Fieldfare: Large, robin-like thrush with rufous back with gray head and rump. Underparts are brown-barred white on breast and sides, and white on belly. Wings are rufous. Tail is dark gray to black. The bill is yellow with a dark tip. Strong and fast flight on rapidly beating wings.

● Song: "shak-shak-shak"

● Foraging & Feeding: Fieldfare: Eats insects, earthworms, slugs, berries, and fruits. Hops about on the ground and gleans food from trees and shrubs.

● Breeding & nesting: Fieldfare: Five to six gray or blue green eggs marked with red brown are laid in a nest made of mud, vegetation, and twigs, and built on the ground or on a low tree branch. Incubation ranges from 13 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Fieldfare: Redwing has rufous wash on underwings, brown head and rump, black spotted and streaked throat, breast and sides, and buff eyestripe.

Flight Pattern

Swift strong direct flight on rapidly beating wings.
Fieldfare Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Fieldfare: Occurs widely, often in large numbers, in most of central and southern Europe in winter; also common in Siberia and Greenland. Casual in Alaska and accidental elsewhere in North America; preferred habitats include woods and woodland edges in summer and open country, fields, and agricultural areas in winter.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary to colonial nester
PopulationCasual in AK, Accidental
MigrationMigratory
Weight3.8 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
RumpX
The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX