Page 314 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CHATS AND THRUSHES
Order Passeriformes Family Turdidae Species Turdus torquatus
Ring Ouzel

small head black head
pale wings
dull, pale
slender breast-band
shape
brown-black
back
duller than
male
MALE
paler wings
FEMALE
white
IN FLIGHT breast-
band
long black
tail
n summer, Ring
IOuzels are found in
wild, open country with sooty black
loose rocks, boulders, crags, underside
or drystone walls, more rarely
in deeply eroded peat bogs or on
steep, bracken-covered slopes.They
appear early in spring and occasionally turn MALE
up, while migrating, on hills inland or on coasts;
in autumn, they are more often found by the sea, particularly
on dunes overgrown with berry bushes.They tend to be rather shy FLIGHT: fast, direct; often over long distance,
and wild, quick to fly off out of sight.They are usually seen with recalling Mistle Thrush but lower; frequently flies off
head up, tail cocked, and wings drooped, or a head and bill may over ridge out of sight.
just be visible above a skyline rock. Ring Ouzels are
declining in areas subject to increased human SUBSPECIES
disturbance on summer weekends. T. t. alpestris
VOICE Loud, hard, rhythmic tak-tak-tak; various (S Europe)
chattering and chuckling calls; song loud, wild, simple pale wing
repetition of short phrases with musical, fluty quality. panel
NESTING Big, loose cup of grass, twigs, soil, and
leaves, in steep bank, rock cavity, or fallen stone wall;
5 or 6 eggs; 2 broods;April–June. white
FEEDING Feeds on insects, worms, seeds, and berries; “scales”
eats berries in bushes on migration.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds locally through Europe,
BLACKBIRD 3 DIPPER BLUE ROCK THRUSH 2 except in Iceland and NE, mostly
similar to 32; see p.290 similar to 23; on high ground, on open moors
see p.311 see p.305
with rocky places, gullies, exposed
pale below tors, and eroded peat bogs.
with dark bars
Migrants in early spring and late
blacker
white breast autumn seen on hills and coasts.
Seen in the UK
J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 23–24cm (9–9 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 38–42cm (15–16 1 ⁄2in) Weight 95 –130g (3 3 ⁄8 –5oz)
Social Family groups Lifespan 5–10 years Status Secure
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