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Turdidae
Turdidae (blackbird, bluethroats, chats, nightingales, redstarts, rubythroats, shortwings, thrushes, wheatears; class Aves, order Passeriformes) A family of small to medium birds, most of which are brown, grey, black, olive, blue, or white, usually contrasting. Some Turdus species (of which there are about 63) have black-spotted, white under-parts. Some of the 29 Zoothera species have spotted under-parts or wing bars and many have distinctive, white, under-wing stripe. Most wheatears (18 species of Oenanthe) have distinctive white rumps, and black tails. Redstarts (11–13 species of Phoenicurus) have orange bellies, black throats, and black, blue, or grey heads and backs; females are duller brown but both sexes have distinctive orange-red tails and rumps. Turdids have medium-length, slender to stout bills, short and rounded to long and pointed wings, and short to long tails, some forked. Their legs are of medium length, and are ‘booted’ (have no scales). They are arboreal and terrestrial, inhabiting forests, open country, deserts, and cultivated land, and feed on animal and vegetable matter. They nest in trees and bushes, on the ground, or in tree holes or rock cavities. The 10–12 species of Monticola (rock thrushes) inhabit open, rocky areas, scrub, and dry forest, and nest in rock crevices. Luscinia megarhynchos (nightingale) is a secretive bird noted for its song (many or all of the 7–18 Luscinia species (bluethroats, nightingales, and rubythroats) are often placed in the genus Erithacus). Shortwings (six species of Brachypteryx) are robin-like birds with short wings and short tails, skulking in habit, and live in dense forest undergrowth. The 10 species of chats, of which many are migratory, comprise the genus Saxicola. Turdus merula (blackbird) and T. philomelos (song thrush) have been introduced to New Zealand which otherwise is the only part of the world from which Turdus species are absent. There are about 50 genera in the family, with about 312 species, found world-wide.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "Turdidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "Turdidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Turdidae.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "Turdidae." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-Turdidae.html |
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thrush
thrush bird, common name for members of the Turdidae, a large family of birds found in most parts of the world and noted for their beautiful song. The majority are modestly colored, with spotted underparts, in either the young or the adult stage, although some have bright plumage. Among these are the American robin, Turdus migratorius, largest of the thrushes, and the Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis, bright blue with a red breast. Other thrushes found in North America are the wood, olive-backed, and gray-cheeked thrushes, the solitaire, and the veery, or Wilson's, thrush. The hermit thrush, a shy forest dweller, is the finest singer. The European "blackbird," the nightingale, the missel thrush, the stonechat, and the wheatear are thrushes. Thrushes are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Turdidae. |
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"thrush." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "thrush." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-thrush1.html "thrush." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-thrush1.html |
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thrush
thrush Any of numerous species of small songbirds of the family Turdidae. The European song thrush (Turdus philomelos) is mottled brown with a lighter, speckled breast. North American species include the (North American) robin, bluebird, and bluethroat. Length: to 30cm (12in).
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"thrush." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "thrush." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-thrush1.html "thrush." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-thrush1.html |
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thrush
thrush1 bird of the family Turdidae. OE. þrysċe (:- *þruskjōn), rel. to synon. OE. þrǣsċe, *þrēasċe = OHG. drōsca (:- *þrauskōn). Cf. THROSTLE.
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T. F. HOAD. "thrush." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "thrush." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-thrush.html T. F. HOAD. "thrush." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-thrush.html |
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thrush
thrush2
A. disease (esp. of infants) marked by white specks in the mouth XVII; B. in the horse, inflammation of the frog of the hoof XVIII. of unkn. orig. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "thrush." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "thrush." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-thrush1.html T. F. HOAD. "thrush." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-thrush1.html |
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thrushes
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "thrushes." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "thrushes." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-thrushes.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "thrushes." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-thrushes.html |
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thrush
thrush
•ablush, blush, brush, crush, flush, gush, hush, hush-hush, lush, mush, plush, rush, shush, slush, thrush, tush
•airbrush, hairbrush
•sagebrush • paintbrush • onrush
•song thrush • outrush • toothbrush
•woodrush • bulrush • uprush
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"thrush." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "thrush." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-thrush.html "thrush." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-thrush.html |
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