Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Quick Facts

Scientific Name: Turdus pilaris
Family: Turdidae
Size: 25-26 cm (10 inches)
Wingspan: 39-42 cm (15-17 inches)
Weight: 80-140 g (2.8-4.9 oz)

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern
UK Status: Red List
Population Trend: Severe decline as breeding species, stable as winter visitor

Spotting Difficulty Rating

🔍🔍 (2/5 – Easy)

Large, distinctive thrush easily identified
Often found in flocks making detection easier
Vocal and conspicuous, especially in winter
Regular and predictable winter visitor

Habitat and Behavior

The Fieldfare is Britain’s largest common thrush, a handsome and robust bird with striking plumage that makes it unmistakable once learned. Adults display a distinctive combination of blue-grey head and rump, rich chestnut-brown back and wings, and heavily spotted yellowish breast and flanks. Their large size, upright posture, and bold markings give them a confident, almost aggressive appearance that matches their assertive behavior.

These gregarious birds are masters of seasonal habitat switching. During winter months, they favor open farmland, parkland, large gardens, and hedgerow-rich countryside where they can access both ground-foraging areas and berry-laden trees and shrubs. They show particular fondness for traditional orchards, rough pasture with scattered trees, and areas where hawthorn, rowan, and other berry-producing species are abundant. In their breeding range, they prefer the edges of northern forests, particularly areas with a mixture of open ground and scattered trees.

Fieldfares are highly social outside the breeding season, forming flocks that can range from dozens to several hundred individuals. These gatherings often include other thrush species, particularly Redwings, creating mixed winter flocks that move across the landscape in search of food resources. Their feeding behavior is distinctive and methodical – they advance across fields in loose formation, hopping and running on the ground with frequent pauses to probe for earthworms, beetles, and other invertebrates.

Their diet varies dramatically with season and availability. During winter, they become frugivorous specialists, targeting berries of hawthorn, rowan, holly, and windfall apples with particular enthusiasm. This fruit-eating behavior often brings them into gardens and parks, where they can strip berry bushes with remarkable efficiency. In breeding season, they switch to invertebrate hunting, taking beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, and snails to feed their growing broods.

Perhaps most memorable is their vocal behavior – Fieldfares are among the most vocal thrushes, maintaining almost constant communication through their distinctive harsh “chack-chack-chack” calls that carry considerable distances. These calls serve as contact notes within flocks and alarm calls when threatened, creating a characteristic soundtrack to winter countryside walks.

Cultural History

The Fieldfare’s place in British culture is primarily that of the winter herald – their autumn arrival from Scandinavia has long been associated with the turning of seasons and the approach of winter. In rural folklore, large flocks of Fieldfares were considered reliable predictors of harsh weather, with the saying “When fieldfares flock early, winter comes surly” reflecting generations of countryside observation.

Their Scandinavian origins led to various local names connecting them to northern lands. In some regions, they were known as “feldefare” or “felt-fare,” possibly relating to their preference for open fields. The name “fieldfare” itself directly references their fondness for agricultural land, distinguishing them from their woodland thrush relatives.

Victorian naturalists were particularly fascinated by Fieldfare flocking behavior and seasonal movements. Gilbert White wrote extensively about their winter abundance contrasted with their complete absence during breeding season, before their Scandinavian breeding grounds were fully understood. Early ornithologists documented their remarkable site fidelity to winter feeding areas, with the same orchards and berry-rich hedgerows hosting flocks year after year.

Agricultural communities developed mixed relationships with Fieldfares – they were celebrated for their consumption of pest insects and soil invertebrates, but criticized for their efficient harvesting of fruit crops. Orchard keepers learned to time their apple harvests around Fieldfare arrival, knowing that windfall fruit would quickly disappear once the flocks arrived.

The 20th century brought recognition of Fieldfares as indicators of habitat quality, with their winter abundance reflecting the health of traditional farming systems that maintained hedgerows, orchards, and mixed agricultural landscapes. Conservation efforts have increasingly focused on preserving the winter habitat features that support these spectacular gatherings.

Fun Facts

❄️ They migrate up to 2,000 miles from Scandinavia to reach British wintering grounds

🍎 A single flock can strip an apple tree of windfall fruit in hours

📢 Their harsh calls can be heard over half a mile away across open countryside

🛡️ They’re fiercely defensive, mobbing birds of prey and even dive-bombing human intruders near nests

🌡️ They can survive temperatures as low as -30°C in their Scandinavian breeding range

👥 Winter flocks maintain complex social hierarchies with dominant birds accessing the best feeding spots

🏃 They’re the most terrestrial of British thrushes, spending more time on the ground than in trees

🎯 They have exceptional eyesight for spotting berry-laden trees from considerable distances

Best Places to Spot a Fieldfare in the UK

Traditional orchards throughout England – apple and pear growing regions
Norfolk Broads – winter roosts and feeding flocks
Yorkshire Dales – fell-side pastures with rowan trees
Somerset Levels – winter flooding attracts large numbers
Scottish Borders – upland farms with scattered hawthorns
Cotswolds – hedgerow-rich farmland
New Forest – woodland edges and clearings
Any area with mature hawthorn hedges and rough pasture

Recommended Viewing Tips

Best viewing from October through March during winter residency
Listen for their harsh “chack-chack” calls to locate flocks
Scan large fields and parkland for groups feeding on the ground
Check berry-laden trees and hedgerows, especially after frost
Early morning offers peak feeding activity before disturbance
Look for mixed flocks often containing Redwings and other thrushes
Use binoculars to appreciate their distinctive plumage patterns
Winter storms can concentrate large numbers in sheltered areas

Conservation Notes

While globally stable, Fieldfares face specific UK conservation challenges:

Severe decline as a breeding species in Scotland due to habitat loss
Winter habitat degradation through hedgerow removal and intensive farming
Loss of traditional orchards reduces important fruit resources
Climate change may affect timing of migration and food availability
Maintaining berry-rich hedgerows supports winter populations
Traditional farming practices benefit their ground-foraging requirements
International cooperation needed to protect Scandinavian breeding habitats