Song Thrush photographed at Fort Le Marchant [MAR] on 28/2/2012 Photo: © Cindy Carre (visit site)

The Song Thrush breeds throughout most of Europe, from Ireland through to Lake Baikal, and from northern Spain to northernmost Fennoscandia. In north-west Europe, the species can be found in most habitats where there are suitable trees and bushes In Britain, this species has shown dramatic declines and numbers fell by 54% between 1969 and 1994. The resaons for this are unclear but general intensification of farmland, removal of suitable habitat and changing use in pesticides are all implicated.

The Song Thrush is a common species, occurring throughout the islands in gardens, woods, agricultural land and in coastal areas. It was found to be breeding in every square during the 1989-91 Breeding Bird Survey. According to past accounts it was a very common species and although there is little significant data it seems that the number of Song Thrushes breeding in the islands has been declining in recent years. (perhaps look at Dell ringing data, also Fougeraie and Vale Marais? Does anyone else have any evidence). Ringing has shown that breeding birds are resident and do not migrate in winter.

In autumn, migrants from Britain and Europe pass through the islands, although a few do winter in the islands. Passage occurs from late September and continues through until November. Migration occurs during the day and birds are also regularly heard flying overhead at night. Between 1979 and 1992 significant passage of Song Thrushes through the Bailiwick was recorded in nine of the fourteen years (Transactions). Resident birds tend to confuse when trying to record if passage is occurring and it is only when large numbers of birds are involved that it is noticed at all, but ringing has shown that the passage is regular.

Diurnal movements have been reported on several occasions. On 13 October 1980, 300+ Song Thrushes were counted flying past Fort Doyle in one hour and, on 14 October 1992, 200 birds were seen flying past Jerbourg and Petit Port. The next year a flock of 100 birds was seen to leave Petit Port at 16.30 hours and approximately 100 more were seen passing by Jeroburg on the same day. More often birds are recorded 'on the ground' and the passage noted in the Guernsey Bird News usually refers to a general increase in numbers but in 1987 20+ birds were regularly seen at Pleinmont in October with a maximum of 50+ on the 20th. The Casquets lighthouse provides some useful information on migrating birds and, although observations from there are rare, 77 Song Thrushes were recorded between 12 to 23 November 1985. A 'crash' of birds was recorded on 24 October 1987, when 60 birds were picked up dead from the rocks along with many Redwing and Skylark. Falls of birds are most often associated with Blackbird and Redwing but also with Skylark, Robin and Fieldfares (GBN).

In winter, cold weather in Britain and Europe regularly sends thrushes further south and Song Thrushes are no exception. Influxes generally occur in January and February and have been recorded on the following occasions: 1 January 1979 when a "large cold weather movement" was recorded, in January 1982 when Song Thrush numbers rose with an associated influx of 250,000 Fieldfare into Guernsey, in late February 1985, February 1986 and in February 1991 when an influx of "hundreds of Redwing, Song Thrush, Robins and Fieldfares" was recorded (GBN).

In spring birds return to their breeding grounds and most birds return via the north coast of France but some move through the Bailiwick, although the passage is not as spectacular as in autumn. One bird found on the Humps on 27 April 1986 was probably a late migrant as birds tend to return through the islands in March (this needs some backing up - Fougeraie data?)

Ringing recoveries show that both British and continental birds are involved in the autumn passage. The majority of recoveries of birds ringed in autumn are from the Low Countries but there are several recoveries of birds ringed in the UK. These birds tend to be ringed in September October and are found in the Bailiwick in autumn and winter. The birds that pass through the islands in autumn either spoend the winter in the islands or move further south. Ringing recoveries indicate that they move a considerable distance and birds have been sound in Var on the Mediterranean coast of France and also in the Pyrenees and in the Gironde, on the Atlantic coast. Inevitably, two of these birds were shot and method of recovery for the other was unknown.

This follows the pattern shown by the British ringing scheme in that birds from further north and east move south in autumn and spend the winter in France, Spain and north Africa. In spring there is a smaller passage of birds through the islands as birds return to breeding areas. The birds passing through the Bailiwick breed in a wide variety of locations and there are reports birds during the breeding season (May to August) from Durham, Kent and Somerset in England, Jersey, north-east France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia. The Czech bird is a remarkable recovery. It was ringed as a pullus in Prague on 25 May 1953 and recovered in the same year at the Casquets lighthouse on 16 October.