The song thrush has been selected as Hungary’s Bird of the Year for 2026 based on the results of a public online vote, the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (MME) announced on Monday.
MME launched its Bird of the Year programme in 1979 with the aim of drawing public attention to bird species and groups affected by nature conservation issues, helping to raise awareness through education and outreach.
According to the society, the song thrush is smaller than the common blackbird, with males and females looking alike. Its upper body is olive-brown, with a whitish throat and a yellowish-white breast and flanks marked by brown spots. Its wings and tail are dark olive-brown, while the yellowish underwing feathers are visible in flight.
One of the species’ most distinctive features is the male’s song, considered among the most beautiful bird songs in Europe. Native to Eurasia, the song thrush was also introduced to Australia and New Zealand by early European settlers. In Hungary, it is widespread and ranks as the country’s second most common thrush species after the blackbird.
The bird’s original habitats include deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests with dense undergrowth. In recent decades, however, the species has increasingly adapted to human settlements in Hungary, making it a familiar sight in gardens and parks. Its diet consists mainly of invertebrates, including earthworms and insects, particularly caterpillars. Song thrushes are also known for cracking snail shells on hard surfaces, often stones, known as ‘thrush anvils’.
The species typically breeds twice a year. Its classic cup-shaped nest, built from dry plant material and small twigs, is placed in trees or shrubs. A unique feature of the nest is its smooth inner lining, created by the female using decayed wood mixed with saliva.
Except for the southernmost populations, the song thrush is migratory, spending winters in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Urban populations, especially in Western Europe and increasingly in Hungary, are more likely to overwinter locally.
The global, European and Hungarian populations of the song thrush are considered stable or increasing, with the Hungarian breeding population estimated at 342,000 to 357,000 pairs. Despite this positive trend, the species is affected by large-scale bird trapping and hunting along Mediterranean migration routes, where an estimated 25 million birds are captured annually. In Hungary, habitat loss caused by tree and shrub removal during the breeding season can also pose risks.
MME notes that year-round bird-friendly practices, such as maintaining drinking and bathing facilities in gardens, can significantly support song thrush populations as well.
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