Turdidae – Thrushes
The Turdidae (Thrushes, Solitaires & Allies) are a family of passerines that occurs worldwide commonly called thrushes. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae into their own family, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old-World flycatchers.
Thrushes are small to medium-sized, mostly ground-living birds that feed on insects, other invertebrates, and fruit. Some unrelated species around the world, such as Laughingthrushes have been named after thrushes due to their similarity to birds in this family.
Formerly, many species now included in the Muscicapidae, which are the thrushes closest relatives, were regarded as Turdidae. DNA and phylogenetic studies have moved species, such as the Cochoas in, as well as moving others out of the family.
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris – ©Ashley Beolens
Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground. The largest thrush is the Great Thrush at 128 to 175 grams and 28 to 33 centimetres. The Amami Thrush might, however, grow larger than the Great Thrush.
Most species are grey or brown in colour, often with speckled underparts. There are, however, some colourful members of the family including bluebirds.
They are insectivorous, but most species also eat worms, land snails, and fruit, especially berries. Many species are permanently resident in warm climates, while others migrate to higher latitudes during summer, often over considerable distances.
|
|
|
|
Russet Nightingale-Thrush Catharus occidentalis |
Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis |
|
The two photos above courtesy of ©Dubi Shapiro |
|
Thrushes build cup-shaped nests, sometimes lining them with mud. They lay two to five speckled eggs, sometimes laying two or more clutches per year. Both parents help in raising the young.
|
|
|
|
Spot-winged Thrush Geokichla spiloptera |
Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis |
|
|
|
|
Himalayan Thrush Zoothera salimalii |
Kessler’s Thrush Turdus kessleri |
|
The four photos above courtesy of ©Nick Ludovic Green Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA |
|
The songs of some species, including members of the genera Catharus, Myadestes, Sialia and Turdus, are considered to be among the most beautiful in the avian world.
Cuban Solitaire Myadestes elisabeth – ©Dubi Shapiro
The Song Thrush is typical of the Turdus genus, and of the Turdidae. A medium sized passerine, which is brown on the back with a highly spotted chest and belly. It is, as the name implies, a beautiful songster; it’s song both territorial and mate attracting. An individual’s repertoire may include more than 100 different phrases. It is an insectivore, although it specialises in eating garden snails. European gardens often abound with the tapping sound that the thrush makes as it cracks open the shell of a snail. It breeds in the forests, gardens and parks, and is a partial migrant as the seasons change. Like many birds its numbers have significantly reduced in those countries and areas where agriculture is intensified.
Red-backed Thrush Geokichla erythronota
Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica
The two photos above courtesy of ©Nick Ludovic Green Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
It builds a neat mud-lined cup nest in a bush or tree and lays four or five dark-spotted blue eggs. Its closest relatives include the smaller, migratory Redwing and the larger more sedentary Mistlethrush. The Song Thrush is not usually gregarious although several birds may inhabit a winter roost. Other species such as the Redwing form very large flocks in the winter and may move into an area to strip the bushes of berries before moving on to find another food source.
-
Number of bird species: 194
(As at January 2026)
According to the recently (2025) amalgamated AviList, there are one hundred & ninety-four species, in seventeen genera in the Turdidae family. They are:
Grandala Grandala coelicolor
Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana
Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides
Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus
Finsch’s Rufous Thrush Stizorhina finschi
Fraser’s Rufous Thrush Stizorhina fraseri
White-tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus poensis
Red-tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus rufus
Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendi
Brown-backed Solitaire Myadestes occidentalis
Cuban Solitaire Myadestes elisabeth
Rufous-throated Solitaire Myadestes genibarbis
Black-faced Solitaire Myadestes melanops
Varied Solitaire Myadestes coloratus
Slate-colored Solitaire Myadestes unicolor
Andean Solitaire Myadestes ralloides
Kamao Myadestes myadestinus
Amaui Myadestes woohensis
Olomao Myadestes lanaiensis
Omao Myadestes obscurus
Puaiohi Myadestes palmeri
Long-tailed Thrush Zoothera dixoni
Alpine Thrush Zoothera mollissima
Himalayan Thrush Zoothera salimalii
Sichuan Thrush Zoothera griseiceps
Geomalia Zoothera heinrichi
Dark-sided Thrush Zoothera marginata
Long-billed Thrush Zoothera monticola
Everett’s Thrush Zoothera everetti
Sunda Thrush Zoothera andromedae
White’s Thrush Zoothera aurea
Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma
Amami Thrush Zoothera major
Nilgiri Thrush Zoothera neilgherriensis
Sri Lanka Thrush Zoothera imbricata
Bonin Thrush Zoothera terrestris
White-bellied Thrush Zoothera margaretae
Guadalcanal Thrush Zoothera turipavae
Bassian Thrush Zoothera lunulata
New Britain Thrush Zoothera talaseae
Bougainville Thrush Zoothera atrigena
Russet-tailed Thrush Zoothera heinei
Fawn-breasted Thrush Zoothera machiki
Fruithunter Chlamydochaera jefferyi
Purple Cochoa Cochoa purpurea
Green Cochoa Cochoa viridis
Sumatran Cochoa Cochoa beccarii
Javan Cochoa Cochoa azurea
Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
Rufous-brown Solitaire Cichlopsis leucogenys
White-eared Solitaire Entomodestes leucotis
Black Solitaire Entomodestes coracinus
Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
Aztec Thrush Ridgwayia pinicola
Specklede Nightingale-Thrush Catharus maculatus
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus mexicanus
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurantiirostris
Spotted Nightingale-Thrush Catharus dryas
Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus fuscater
Russet Nightingale-Thrush Catharus occidentalis
Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus
Veery Catharus fuscescens
Bicknell’s Thrush Catharus bicknelli
Grey-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus gracilirostris
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush Catharus frantzii
Russet Nightingale-Thrush Catharus occidentalis
Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus
Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica
Pied Thrush Geokichla wardii
Spotted Ground Thrush Geokichla guttata
Black-eared Ground Thrush Geokichla camaronensis
Grey Ground Thrush Geokichla princei
Crossley’s Ground Thrush Geokichla crossleyi
Oberländer’s Ground Thrush Geokichla oberlaenderi
Abyssinian Ground Thrush Geokichla piaggiae
Orange Ground Thrush Geokichla gurneyi
Spot-winged Thrush Geokichla spiloptera
Ashy Thrush Geokichla cinerea
Buru Thrush Geokichla dumasi
Seram Thrush Geokichla joiceyi
Chestnut-capped Thrush Geokichla interpres
Enggano Thrush Geokichla leucolaema
Chestnut-backed Thrush Geokichla dohertyi
Orange-sided Thrush Geokichla peronii
Slaty-backed Thrush Geokichla schistacea
Red-backed Thrush Geokichla erythronota
Red-and-black Thrush Geokichla mendeni
Orange-headed Thrush Geokichla citrina
Chinese Thrush Turdus mupinensis
Ethiopian Thrush Turdus simensis
Groundscraper Thrush Turdus litsitsirupa
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
African Thrush Turdus pelios
Sao Tome Thrush Turdus olivaceofuscus
Principe Thrush Turdus xanthorhynchus
Abyssinian Thrush Turdus abyssinicus
Usambara Thrush Turdus roehli
Taita Thrush Turdus helleri
Somali Thrush Turdus ludoviciae
Bare-eyed Thrush Turdus tephronotus
Karoo Thrush Turdus smithi
Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus
Comoros Thrush Turdus bewsheri
Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyana
Sulawesi Thrush Turdus turdoides
Chinese Blackbird Turdus mandarinus
Yemen Thrush Turdus menachensis
Redwing Turdus iliacus
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
Kessler’s Thrush Turdus kessleri
Tibetan Blackbird Turdus maximus
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
White-collared Blackbird Turdus albocinctus
Chestnut Thrush Turdus rubrocanus
Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis
Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis
Naumann’s Thrush Turdus naumanni
Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus
Taiwan Thrush Turdus niveiceps
Grey-winged Blackbird Turdus boulboul
Indian Blackbird Turdus simillimus
Japanese Thrush Turdus cardis
Grey-backed Thrush Turdus hortulorum
Tickell’s Thrush Turdus unicolor
Black-breasted Thrush Turdus dissimilis
Izu Thrush Turdus celaenops
Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus
Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus
Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus
Grey-sided Thrush Turdus feae
Mindoro Island Thrush Turdus mindorensis
Luzon Island Thrush Turdus thomassoni
Negros Island Thrush Turdus nigorum
Christmas Island Thrush Turdus erythropleurus
Sulawesi Island Thrush Turdus schlegelii
Sunda Island Thrush Turdus javanicus
Sula Island Thrush Turdus deningeri
Papuan Island Thrush Turdus papuensis
Bismarck Island Thrush Turdus heinrothi
Bougainville Island Thrush Turdus bougainvillea
Guadalcanal Island Thrush Turdus kulambangrae
Vanuatu Island Thrush Turdus vanikorensis
Loyalty Island Thrush Turdus pritzbueri
New Caledonian Island Thrush Turdus xanthopus]
Tasman Sea Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus
Samoan Island Thrush Turdus samoensis
Fiji Island Thrush Turdus ruficeps
White-chinned Thrush Turdus aurantius
Grand Cayman Thrush Turdus ravidus
Eastern Red-legged Thrush Turdus ardosiaceus
Western Red-legged Thrush Turdus plumbeus
Rufous-collared Thrush Turdus rufitorques
American Robin Black Thrush Turdus infuscatus
Sooty Thrush Turdus nigrescens
Mountain Thrush Turdus plebejus
White-eyed Thrush Turdus jamaicensis
La Selle Thrush Turdus swalesi
Forest Thrush Turdus lherminieri
Pale-eyed Thrush Turdus leucops
Chestnut-bellied Thrush Turdus fulviventris
Plumbeous-backed Thrush Turdus reevei
Andean Slaty Thrush Turdus nigriceps
Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco
Glossy-black Thrush Turdus serranus
Great Thrush Turdus fuscater
Black-hooded Thrush Turdus olivater
Eastern Slaty Thrush Turdus subalaris
Austral Thrush Turdus falcklandii
Tristan Thrush Turdus eremita
Creamy-bellied Thrush Turdus amaurochalinus
Campina Thrush Turdus arthuri
Maranon Thrush Turdus maranonicus
Black-billed Thrush Turdus ignobilis
Yellow-legged Thrush Turdus flavipes
White-necked Thrush Turdus albicollis
Pale-vented Thrush Turdus obsoletus
Dagua Thrush Turdus daguae
Pantepui Thrush Turdus murinus
Lawrence’s Thrush Turdus lawrencii
White-throated Thrush Turdus assimilis
Rufous-backed Thrush Turdus rufopalliatus
Pale-breasted Thrush Turdus leucomelas
Hauxwell’s Thrush Turdus hauxwelli
Cocoa Thrush Turdus fumigatus
Rufous-bellied Thrush Turdus rufiventris
Spectacled Thrush Turdus nudigenis
Unicolored Thrush Turdus haplochrous
Varzea Thrush Turdus sanchezorum
Ecuadorian Thrush Turdus maculirostris
Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi
-
Thrushes
| By Peter Clement & Ren Hathway | Helm | 2000 | Hardback | 463 pages, 60 col plates, line illus, 160 col maps | ISBN: 9780713639407 Buy this book from NHBS.com
-
Turdidae
Family AccountThrushes are generally long-bodied and strong-legged, with full chests, largish heads, and mid-sized bills. Most species are comfortable on the ground. -
Turdidae
Family AccountThe thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former...
Given the number of species in this family, Fatbirder does not provide quick links to all of them. However, the entries below do include links to representatives of every genera, all those illustrated and some of the most often encountered, iconic or sought-after species.
-
American Robin Turdus migratorius
Species AccountThe American robin (Turdus migratorius) is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the Old World flycatcher family. -
American Robin Turdus migratorius
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Aztec Thrush Ridgwayia pinicola
Species AccountThe Aztec thrush (Ridgwayia pinicola) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found mainly in Mexico... -
Aztec Thrush Ridgwayia pinicola
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Black Solitaire Entomodestes coracinus
Species AccountThe black solitaire (Entomodestes coracinus) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador. -
Black Solitaire Entomodestes coracinus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus
Species AccountThe boulder chat (Pinarornis plumosus) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae native to dry woodland and savanna in Southern Africa. -
Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Chestnut-backed Thrush Geokichla dohertyi
Species AccountThe chestnut-backed thrush (Geokichla dohertyi) is a ground thrush species endemic to Lombok, Timor and the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. -
Chestnut-backed Thrush Geokichla dohertyi
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
Species AccountThe common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds). -
Common Blackbird Turdus merula
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Cuban Solitaire Myadestes elisabeth
Species AccountThe Cuban solitaire (Myadestes elisabeth), also known as the Cuban nightingale, is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is endemic to Cuba. -
Cuban Solitaire Myadestes elisabeth
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
Species AccountThe eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small North American migratory thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands, and orchards. -
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Species AccountThe fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and across the Palearctic. -
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Finsch's Rufous Thrush Stizorhina finschi
Species AccountA little-known flycatcher-like thrush of West African forests. It is often considered a subspecies of Fraser's rufous thrush. -
Finsch's Rufous Thrush Stizorhina finschi
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Fruithunter Chlamydochaera jefferyi
Species AccountThe fruithunter or fruit-hunter (Chlamydochaera jefferyi), also known as the black-breasted fruit-hunter, is an enigmatic species of bird currently placed with... -
Fruithunter Chlamydochaera jefferyi
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Grandala Grandala coelicolor
Species AccountThe grandala (Grandala coelicolor) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is the only species in the genus Grandala. -
Grandala Grandala coelicolor
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Groundscraper Thrush Turdus litsitsirupa
Species AccountThe groundscraper thrush (Psophocichla litsitsirupa) is a passerine bird of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the thrush family, Turdidae. It is the only member of the genus Psophocichla. -
Groundscraper Thrush Turdus litsitsirupa
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Himalayan Thrush Zoothera salimalii
Species AccountThe Himalayan thrush or Himalayan forest thrush (Zoothera salimalii) is a species of bird described in 2016 and separated out from the alpine thrush. -
Himalayan Thrush Zoothera salimalii
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Kessler's Thrush Turdus kessleri
Species AccountThe white-backed thrush or Kessler's thrush (Turdus kessleri) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. -
Kessler's Thrush Turdus kessleri
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
Species AccountThe mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is a bird common to much of Europe, temperate Asia and North Africa. I -
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Orange-headed Thrush Geokichla citrina
Species AccountThe orange-headed thrush (Geokichla citrina) is a bird in the thrush family. ... It is common in well-wooded areas of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. -
Orange-headed Thrush Geokichla citrina
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Purple Cochoa Cochoa purpurea
Species AccountThe purple cochoa (Cochoa purpurea) is a brightly coloured bird found in the temperate forests of Asia. It is a quiet and elusive bird species. -
Purple Cochoa Cochoa purpurea
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Red-backed Thrush Geokichla erythronota
Species AccountThe red-backed thrush or rusty-backed thrush (Geokichla erythronota) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. -
Red-backed Thrush Geokichla erythronota
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis
Species AccountThe red-throated thrush (Turdus ruficollis) is a passerine bird in the thrush family. -
Red-throated Thrush Turdus ruficollis
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Redwing Turdus iliacus
Species AccountThe redwing (Turdus iliacus) is a bird in the thrush family, Turdidae, native to Europe and the Palearctic, slightly smaller than the related song thrush. -
Redwing Turdus iliacus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Rufous-brown Solitaire Cichlopsis leucogenys
Species AccountThe rufous-brown solitaire (Cichlopsis leucogenys) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana... -
Rufous-brown Solitaire Cichlopsis leucogenys
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Russet Nightingale-Thrush Catharus occidentalis
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Russet Nightingale-Thrush Catharus occidentalis
Species AccountThe russet nightingale-thrush (Catharus occidentalis) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is endemic to Mexico. -
Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica
Species AccountThe Siberian thrush (Geokichla sibirica) is a member of the thrush family, Turdidae. The genus name Geokichla comes from Ancient Greek... -
Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Species AccountThe song thrush (Turdus philomelos) is a thrush that breeds across the West Palearctic. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts. -
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Spot-winged Thrush Geokichla spiloptera
Species AccountThe spot-winged thrush (Geokichla spiloptera) is an Asian thrush, a group within the large thrush family Turdidae. -
Spot-winged Thrush Geokichla spiloptera
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
Species AccountThe varied thrush (Ixoreus naevius) is a member of the thrush family, Turdidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Ixoreus. -
Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Western Red-legged Thrush Turdus plumbeus
Species AccountThe Western red-legged thrush (Turdus plumbeus) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. Native to the Caribbean, it is found in the Bahamas, Cayman, Cuba... -
Western Red-legged Thrush Turdus plumbeus
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
White-tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus poensis
Species AccountThe white-tailed ant thrush (Neocossyphus poensis), also known as the white-tailed rufous thrush, is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. -
White-tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus poensis
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map. -
Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
Species AccountThe wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) is a North American passerine bird in the family Turdidae and is the only species placed in the genus Hylocichla. -
Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina
Species AccountSound archive and distribution map.