The Song Thrush is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia. It has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. Its distinctive song, which has repeated musical phrases, has frequently been referred to in poetry. The Song Thrush breeds in forests, gardens and parks, and is partially migratory with many birds wintering in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; it has also been introduced into New Zealand and Australia. Although it is not threatened globally, there have been serious population declines in parts of Europe, possibly due to changes in farming practices. The Song Thrush builds a neat mud-lined cup nest in a bush or tree and lays four or five dark-spotted blue eggs. It is omnivorous and has the habit of using a favourite stone as an "anvil" on which to smash snails. Like other perching birds (passerines), it is affected by external and internal parasites and is vulnerable to predation by cats and birds of prey.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_Thrush
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1265:
Second Barons' War: Royal forces under Prince Edward defeated Baronial forces under Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester at the Battle of Evesham near Evesham, Worcestershire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Evesham
1796:
French Revolutionary Wars: The French Army of Italy under Napoleon crushed an Austrian brigade in the Battle of Lonato. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lonato
1974:
A bomb placed by a neo-fascist group exploded on a train of the Ferrovie dello Stato while on the Bologna–Florence railway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italicus_Express_bombing_1974
1984:
Exactly a year after he came to power in the Republic of Upper Volta through a military coup, President Thomas Sankara changed its name to Burkina Faso (flag pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso
1991:
An explosion on the Greek cruise ship MTS Oceanos ruptured its hull and it sank off the east coast of South Africa, but all 571 on board were saved. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTS_Oceanos
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
yarl: A deep, guttural vocal style with affected pronunciation, characteristic of male grunge and postgrunge singers of the 1990s and early 2000s. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yarl
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. --Barack Obama https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama