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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ 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

___________________________ 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