Wildlife

Fieldfare and Redwing Welfare: Winter Thrushes in the UK

Fieldfares and redwings arrive from Scandinavia and Iceland each October in their millions. Their welfare in UK winters depends on access to berries and open ground for earthworm foraging.

Key Facts

Approximately 750,000 fieldfares and 800,000 redwings winter in the UK
They arrive from Scandinavia in October and depart by April
In hard winters when ground freezes, earthworm foraging becomes impossible
Redwings are particularly vulnerable to cold — they may starve in severe frosts
Berry-bearing trees are critical food resources in the early winter period before fields open up

Welfare Considerations

Winter thrushes in severe frost or snow cannot access earthworms — their primary protein source — and must rely entirely on berry resources. In extended cold periods, berry supplies can be exhausted, causing starvation in the most vulnerable individuals. The availability of garden and urban berry trees provides critical refugia during these events. Garden supplementary feeding (apples, windfall fruit) during frost events directly saves individual bird welfare.

What You Can Do

Put out windfall apples and mild weather fruit in garden feeding areas during frost
Plant berry-bearing native shrubs — hawthorn, elder, holly — for winter thrush foraging
Report fieldfare and redwing flock sizes to BTO WeBS and BirdTrack
Avoid disturbing large feeding flocks in field margins during cold spells
Support Scan Birdwatch and BTO for better understanding of thrush migration welfare