Song Thrush

1. Distinctive droplet-shaped dark spots on whitish underparts (not scaly)

2. Rich buffy wash across breast, especially in fresh plumage

3. Smaller, more compact build than native Australian thrushes

Song Thrushes build neat, mud-lined cup nests in bushes, hedges, or trees, laying four or five blue eggs with black spots. The female incubates the eggs alone for about 13–15 days, and both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after another 13–15 days. Song Thrushes may raise two or three broods per year. They are famous for using "anvils"stones on which they smash snail shells to access the food inside. Their diet consists mainly of earthworms, snails, insects, and berries.

Song Thrushes inhabit parks, gardens, farmland with hedges, and wooded areas in southeastern Australia. They are most often seen feeding on lawns and grassy verges, usually close to shrubs or trees for cover. The species is particularly common in established suburban gardens, cemeteries, and parklands with mature plantings. They are most active and visible during early morning and evening.