It was in the month of March, when Christ was walking on the earth with St. Peter. Going through a forest they saw a thrush strutting about on the top of a tree. “Good morning, Mr. Thrush,†said St. Peter. “I have no time for you,†replied the thrush. “And why not, prithee?†“Oh, you […]
Category: Turdidae
The Story of the Nightingale, the Blackbird and the Thrush
The king of the birds, feeling one day in a good humour, wanted to find out which of his subjects could sing best. So he sent an order to his birds to select from amongst themselves those whom they thought to be the best singers. All the birds came together, and, after having heard many […]
Why the Bluebird is blue and Coyote is not
The bluebird was once a very ugly color. But there was a lake where no river flowed in or out and the bird bathed in this four times every morning for four mornings. On the fourth morning it shed all its feathers and came out in its bare skin, but on the fifth morning it […]
Txamsem steals Thrush’s Salmonberries
Txamsem went walking, not knowing which way to turn. He came to a large river where there were many salmonberry bushes. There was a house, and Txamsem went toward it. There he saw a fine-looking man the Tlnush, who invited Txamsem in. The good-looking young man took some dried salmon, roasted them, put them in […]
Bird stories, Clay-colored Robin (Turdus grayi)
The song of the k’ok’ota’, or Clay-colored Robin (Turdus grayi) when heard in the morning is a sign that the milpa (corn field) is flowering. However, if it is sitting in a tree when it sings, it means rain is forthcoming. The Q’eqchi’ of Belize have a similar tradition for the Clay-colored Robin, or k’ook’ob, […]
Bird stories, Brown-chested Alethe (Alethe poliocephala)
There is a food taboo for this totemic animal of a particular clan of the Mbuti hunter-gatherers of the Congo. The clan members cannot eat this animal called ngini-so (things prohibited), or ngini-so-su (things prohibited to us), which symbolize their membership of a particular clan. Should one eat such a prohibited animal, his teeth would […]
Bird stories, Blackbird (Turdus merula)
In the neighbourhood of Brescia the last two days of January and the first of February are called the blackbird’s days, the story is that this bird, whose original colour was white, became black because one year these three days were so cold that she had to take refuge in a chimney. It is believed […]
Bird stories, American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
Among the Chippewas, when a son became old enough to leave boyhood behind, it was necessary for him to pass through twelve days of fasting, during which the great Manitou would come to him and free him from his childhood’s nature and instead give to him the strength and endurance of a braver manhood. One […]
Vintage plate of Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus)
In 1902 this Thrush was called the Dark Thrush or the Dusky Thrush, it said: In Asia this Thrush has a wide range: and its true habitat is there; for it is only known within the limits of the western Palaearctic Region as a rare and occasional straggler. According to Professor Schlegel it has once […]
Vintage plate of Scaly Thrush (Zoothera dauma)
In 1902 this Thrush was called Whites Thrush, Turdus Varius, it said: Although an inhabitant of Eastern Asia, this Thrush has frequently straggled to various parts of Europe, and as far west even as Great Britain, where it has been captured on at least nine occasions. The first recorded British-killed specimen appears to be that […]