Fieldfare and redwing are winter thrush visitors to Britain in vast numbers, and their welfare during severe winter weather depends on berry availability, open water, and appropriate supplementary feeding.
Winter thrush welfare is episodic rather than chronic - most winters provide adequate conditions, but occasional severe cold snaps create acute welfare crises. During extended frost and snow, fieldfares and redwings face starvation as frozen ground prevents earthworm access and ice crystallises remaining berry crops. Mortality during such events can be very high for individual birds already at minimum winter body weight. Garden supplementary feeding during hard weather provides genuine welfare benefit for individual birds that seek refuge in suburban areas. The welfare argument for berry-producing native hedgerow maintenance is strong - hawthorn, holly, and ivy provide the food resources that buffer flocks against short-term food shortage.