Radnorshire Wildlife Trust - Protecting Wildlife for the Future

Thrushes at Gilfach
We had a wonderful crop of rowan berries this year but the winter thrushes along with large flocks of starlings cleared them all in just two weeks. They've moved on now, just a few fieldfares left to do battle with the resident mistle thrushes.
I wonder whether birds can taste what they eat. I watched a fieldfare eat six rowan berries in as many seconds, in contrast a bullfinch took a berry and "chewed" it letting the less palatable bits fall away.