Spring is springing

March is a great month to search for and listen to Mistle Thrushes. And churchyards are among the best places to find them.

They start to breed in February and by March can be heard proclaiming from the tops of tall trees. Unlike other thrushes such as Song Thrush or Blackbird, Mistle Thrushes are known for singing during stormy weather, hence their alternative name, Storm Cock. They are also called Throstles, an old word for thrush. By perching high to sing, they amplify their already loud song and can be heard up to two kilometres away.

Compared to other thrushes, the Mistle Thrush’s song is more monotonous and piercing but still a joyful sound to hear and a herald of spring. You can identify the three thrushes by their song and once you have learned the difference they are quite easy to separate. Have a listen on the RSPB website as a starting point.

Mistle thrushes favour parkland conditions with big trees and grassland, where they feed on a wide variety of invertebrates. Churchyards and cemeteries can be perfect for them having mature soils full of invertebrates, few or no pesticides, and mature trees for perching and nesting. Many burial grounds contain evergreen trees which were planted during the nineteenth century - these are now mature and offer excellent habitat for thrushes as well as other birds and animals.

Mistle thrushes are currently in decline in the UK and churchyards and cemeteries may be important strongholds for them. If you hear one singing, this will be a male who is proclaiming his territory so a good indicator of breeding.