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We seem to have a family of birds in the garden & are not sure what they are, sorry no picture. They's to thin to be blackbirds, built more like a thrush. They have speckling on their breasts but only at the top under their beaks & what looks like a sort of ring round their necks. Any suggestions please?

Try an image search for "Starling", Granny. I think they'd fit the bill.

Fascinating and very beautiful birds when the sulight catches their plumage. Almost like an oil slick in colour. It's great to watch their behaviour as the group moves from vantage point to vantage point. Even when they're feeding on the ground there's always one or two up high on lookout.

The mystery is over. I didn't think they were starlings & yesterday we were rewarded with a full frontal & ta dah, they are thrushes. So pleased to see several of them at once & the coal tit is still planting away merrily.

Well, well. Another turn up for the books.

How many (roughly) were in the group? Thrushes are relatively rare in my neck of the woods and I usually only ever see them singly. I had no idea that they stuck together.

Fieldfares throng in flocks and are members of the thrush family.  They tend to spend winter in the UK.

Quote from: Obbelix on October 18, 2012, 10:38:22
Fieldfares throng in flocks and are members of the thrush family.  They tend to spend winter in the UK.

.....And Redwings too.  They are also members of the thrush family. 

There were about 4 I think. We had them through the 2 bad Winters. We think these are from the same brood. We haven't seen the parents, the breasts are just showing.

Missle thrushes too will flock, and I imagine that song thrushes will as well though I can't say I've seen it.  4 sounds like it might have been a family.

I see redwings aound Bbirmingham every winter, anywhere there's an area of grass, and I'm sure there are more mistle thrushes around then. I don't see fieldfares.