29 He aha tērā? Thrush

This medium sized brown bird sings from treetops and forages for snails, worms, spiders and slugs. Its speckled chest is very distinctive. Most people will be familiar with this common bird. He aha tērā? What is that?

Photo by Kezna Cameron. Used with permission.

Answer: it’s a thrush:

Identification: Length: 21 -23 cm; Weight: 70 g

Similar species: Eurasian blackbird

A medium-sized songbird with pale cream underparts speckled with fawn-brown chevrons, smooth grey-brown head, back, upper wings and tail, indistinct streaking on the head and the upper wing mostly uniform brown in flight. The sexes are alike with a robust dark pointed bill with yellowish lower mandible; juveniles have similar colouring but the speckling on the breast is less distinct.