Song thrush "Turdus", is the Latin for "thrush", and the specific epithet refers to a character in Greek mythology, Philomela, who had her tongue cut out, but was changed into a singing bird. Her name is derived from the Ancient Greek "Φιλο" "philo-" ("loving"), and "μέλος" "melos" ("song"). The dialect names "throstle" and "mavis" both mean "thrush", being related to the German "drossel" and French "mauvis" respectively. "Throstle" dates back to at least the fourteenth century and was used by Chaucer in the "Parliament of Fowls". Mavis is derived via Middle English "mavys" and Old French "mauvis" from Middle Breton "milhuyt" meaning
Swainson's thrush as nuclear β-fibrinogen intron 7 sequence data shows that Swainson's thrush is the most ancient North American species of its genus; it is not closely related to other "Catharus" and the outward similarities with the other North American species are due to convergent evolution. Swainson's thrush Swainson's thrush ("Catharus ustulatus"), also called olive-backed thrush, is a medium-sized thrush. It is a member of genus "Catharus" and is typical of it in terms of its subdued coloration and beautiful voice. Swainson's thrush was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist. The genus name "Catharus" comes from the Ancient Greek "katharos", "pure