Thrushes and Chats: Turdidae

Throughout much of southern and Mediterranean Europe, especially in Spain, Italy, and Greece, these birds are prized as food delicacies. They are caught and killed in large numbers and offered on restaurant menus and sold in supermarkets, either bottled or as thrush paté. The practice has been going on for centuries. While no exact determination has been made regarding the threat this might be to the species, none are in short supply. Elsewhere in Western Europe, people prize such features as the song of the nightingale and have honored the birds through song and poetry. Many of these birds are among the best-loved garden birds throughout the world.