  thrushes make up the turdidae, a family of passerine birds that occurs worldwide. ==characteristics== thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground. the smallest thrush may be the forest rock thrush, at  and . however, the shortwings, which have ambiguous alliances with both thrushes and old world flycatchers, can be even smaller. the lesser shortwing averages . the largest thrush is the blue whistling thrush, at  and . the great thrush is similar in length, but less heavily built.thrushes by peter clement. princeton university press (2001), isbn 978-0-691-08852-5. most species are grey or brown in colour, often with speckled underparts. they are insectivorous, but most species also eat worms, land snails, and fruit. many species are permanently resident in warm climates, while others migrate to higher latitudes during summer, often over considerable distances. thrushes build cup-shaped nests, sometimes lining them with mud. they lay two to five speckled eggs, sometimes laying two or more clutches per year. both parents help in raising the young. the songs of some species, including members of the genera catharus, myadestes, and turdus, are considered to be among the most beautiful in the avian world.http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/woodland/msg051859363475.htmlhttp://rogcad.com/hermitthrush/index.htm ==ecology== turdidae species spread the seeds of plants, contributing to the dispersal of many species and the recovery of ecosystems. plants have limited seed dispersal mobility away from the parent plant and consequently rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their propagules, including both abiotic and biotic vectors. seeds can be dispersed away from the parent plant individually or collectively, as well as dispersed in both space and time. many bats and birds
Thrushes Turdidae