The mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus) is a bird common to much of
Europe, Asia and North Africa. It is a year-round resident in much of
its range, but northern and eastern populations migrate south for the
winter, often in small flocks. It is a large thrush with pale grey-brown
upperparts, a greyish-white chin and throat, and black spots on its pale
yellow and off-white underparts. The sexes are similar in plumage, and
its three subspecies show only minimal differences. The male's loud song
is delivered even in wet and windy weather, earning the bird the old
name of "stormcock". Found in open woods, parks, hedges and cultivated
land, the mistle thrush feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates, seeds
and berries, especially mistletoe, holly and yew fruits. It defends its
open cup nest fearlessly against potential predators, sometimes
including humans or cats. Following a large range expansion in the 18th
and early 19th centuries, there has been a small decline in recent
decades, perhaps due to changes in agricultural practices.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistle_thrush>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1679:
Le Griffon, a brigantine built by René-Robert de La Salle,
began its journey to be the first sailing ship to navigate the upper
Great Lakes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Griffon>
1933:
Iraqi troops slaughtered 600–3,000 Assyrians during the
Simele massacre in the Dahuk and Mosul districts.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simele_massacre>
1998:
Car bombs exploded simultaneously at the American embassies in
the East African capital cities of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi,
Kenya, killing more than 200 people and injuring more than 4,000 others.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_United_States_embassy_bombings>
2008:
Fighting between the Georgian and South Ossetian separatist
forces escalated to the six-day Russo-Georgian War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
bosomy:
1. Full of sheltered hollows or recesses.
2. Having a large bosom.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bosomy>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
God writes a lot of comedy, Donna; the trouble is, he's stuck
with so many bad actors who don't know how to play "funny".
--Garrison Keillor
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Garrison_Keillor>