The Message of Thrush and Bard

The old thrush is a survivor of an ancient and magical breed of birds that once lived in the area around the Lonely Mountain and Dale. These thrushes were long-lived and were known to be tame to the hands of Thorin's father and grandfather. The Men of Dale had the ability to understand their language and used them as messengers to fly to the Men of the Lake and elsewhere. This particular thrush had been present on the mountain-side near the secret door, where it listened to Bilbo Baggins recount his conversation with Smaug, including the revelation of the bare patch in the dragon's diamond waistcoat. Bilbo, in his ill temper, threw a stone at the thrush, but it merely fluttered aside and came back. Thorin Oakenshield recognized the bird's significance, identifying it as a very old bird, possibly the last left of the ancient breed that had lived there a couple of hundreds of years or more ago.

The Thrush's Message to Bard

During Smaug's devastating attack on Lake-town, as Bard the Bowman prepared his final shot, the old thrush suddenly appeared and perched on his shoulder. Unafraid, it brought him news, speaking in a tongue that Bard, being of the race of Dale, could understand. The thrush delivered a precise and critical instruction: "Wait! Wait! The moon is rising. Look for the hollow of the left breast as he flies and turns above you!" It then told Bard of the tidings it had heard up in the Mountain, relaying the information about Smaug's vulnerable spot that Bilbo had discovered. This message, delivered at the crucial moment, enabled Bard to aim his black arrow with deadly accuracy, striking the dragon in the one place where his armour of iron scales and hard gems was incomplete. The arrow sped straight for the hollow by the left breast where the foreleg was flung wide, and Smaug was slain. The thrush's intervention was thus the direct cause of the dragon's death, transforming a desperate defense into a decisive victory and fulfilling the ancient prophecies of the return of the King under the Mountain.