Do birds other than song thrushes break snail shells on stones?
Ornithologist Mike Toms explains the song thrush's unique feeding behaviour.
Snails are a vital part of the song thrush diet © Nature Picture Library / Getty
Though all of our breeding thrushes have been recorded feeding on snails, it is only the song thrush that is proficient in opening larger shells by smashing them against stones or other hard objects.
The other thrushes tend to feed on smaller snails, which are easily broken open with the bill. Blackbirds have been seen to copy the anvil technique on rare occasions, though far less effectively, and may also rob song thrushes of their hard won prey.
Snails are of seasonal importance for thrushes, taken when favoured foods are less abundant, and feature most commonly during dry summer weather or late winter.
Click here to read more of our Wildlife Q&As.
Do you have a wildlife question you’d like answered? Email your question to wildquestions@immediate.co.uk or post it to Q&A, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Immediate Media Company, 9th Floor, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol, BS1 3BN
