Song Thrush vs Mistle Thrush: How to Tell Them Apart
Updated 6 October 2026
Side by side
| Feature | Song Thrush | Mistle Thrush |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 23 cm. Smaller than a Blackbird. | About 27 cm. Bigger than a Blackbird. |
| Key plumage | Warm brown above. Cream below with a yellow-buff wash on the chest. Spots shaped like arrowheads, in tidy lines. | Cold grey-brown above with pale feather edges on the wing. Whiter below. Spots bold and round, spread over the belly, joining into dark patches at the chest sides. |
| Underwing and tail | Orange-buff underwing. Plain brown tail. | White underwing. White tips to the outer tail feathers. |
| Structure | Compact, with a shortish tail. | Long tailed and pot bellied, with a small head. Stands very upright. |
| Flight | Fast, low and direct. | Strong and high, in long bounds: a burst of beats, then wings closed. |
| Song | Loud, clear phrases, each repeated two to four times. | Wild, fluty and far carrying. Short phrases with pauses and no repeats. Like a sad, simple Blackbird. |
| Call | A thin "sip" in flight. | A dry rattle, like an old football rattle. |
| Habitat | Gardens, hedges, woodland and parks with cover. Feeds close to shelter. | Open grass with tall trees: parks, playing fields, churchyards, orchards, upland edges. Feeds well out in the open. |
| When in the UK | All year. Birds from northern Europe arrive in autumn. | All year. |
| UK status | Amber list. About 1.3 million territories (2016). Down 45% between 1967 and 2024. | Red list. About 165,000 territories (2016). Down 64% between 1967 and 2024. |
Swipe the table sideways on a small screen.
The quickest way to tell them apart
Judge it against a Blackbird. Smaller and neater means Song Thrush. Bigger, longer and paler means Mistle Thrush. Then watch it leave: white underwings and a rattling call confirm Mistle Thrush.
Where it stands is a clue. A thrush feeding in the middle of a football pitch, head up, is usually a Mistle Thrush. One hopping along the edge of a flower bed is usually a Song Thrush.
By sight
- Spots. Song Thrush spots are small, dark arrowheads pointing up the body, lined up in rows. Mistle Thrush spots are larger and rounder, scattered more evenly and right down onto the belly.
- Colour. The Song Thrush is a warm, even brown with a buff chest. The Mistle Thrush is greyer and paler, with pale fringes that give the wing a frosted look.
- Stance. Mistle Thrushes stand erect with the chest pushed out, and bound across the grass in big hops. Song Thrushes run and pause, closer to the ground.
- Tail. White corners on the tail as the bird flies away mean Mistle Thrush.
By sound
The Song Thrush sings in repeats. It picks a short phrase, sings it two, three or four times, then moves to a new one. Some phrases are sweet whistles and some are harsh. It sings from a high perch at dawn and dusk from late winter.
The Mistle Thrush sounds like a distant Blackbird that keeps stopping. The phrases are short, loud and fluty, with gaps between them and no repetition. It sings from the very top of a tall tree, often in wind and rain and from midwinter, which earned it the old name stormcock.
The calls are easy. A thin "sip" overhead is a Song Thrush. A long, dry rattle is a Mistle Thrush. Check your recording with Sound ID.
By season and habitat
Both are resident. Song Thrushes are joined in autumn by birds from northern Europe, and some British birds move south and west for the winter. Mistle Thrushes gather in loose family flocks on open ground in late summer.
In winter, a single Mistle Thrush will guard a holly, yew or mistletoe clump for weeks, chasing other birds off the berries with that rattle. Song Thrushes are the ones that smash snails on a stone "anvil". A pile of broken shells by a path is their work.
Common mistakes
- Calling a Redwing a Song Thrush in winter. Redwings have a bold cream stripe over the eye and rusty-red flanks.
- Calling a Fieldfare a Mistle Thrush. Fieldfares are just as big, but have a grey head and rump and a chestnut back.
- Mistaking a young Blackbird for a thrush. Juvenile Blackbirds are mottled and rusty brown, with no clean pale chest.
- Judging size on a lone bird with nothing beside it. Use spot shape and underwing colour too.
Where to see both
You do not need to travel. A local park with mown grass, tall trees and shrubbery can hold both. On reserves, try the woodland trails and grassy edges at RSPB Minsmere or RSPB Leighton Moss. For help bringing Song Thrushes closer, see our garden birds guide.
FAQ
What is the difference between a Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush?
The Mistle Thrush is bigger, greyer and more upright, with round spots and white under the wings. The Song Thrush is smaller and warm brown, with arrow-shaped spots and orange-buff under the wings. The Song Thrush repeats each phrase of its song. The Mistle Thrush does not.
Which thrush smashes snails on a stone?
The Song Thrush. It holds the snail by the lip of the shell and beats it on a hard surface, often using the same stone again and again. Mistle Thrushes rarely do this.
Which thrush sings in bad weather?
The Mistle Thrush. It sings from treetops in wind and rain, often from midwinter, and used to be called the stormcock. Song Thrushes also start early in the year but pick calmer spells.
Log both thrushes
Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush are both in the Birdedex. Log them, then add Redwing and Fieldfare when the winter thrushes arrive.
Open the Birdedex →