Thrushes · Perching birds
Eurasian Blackbird
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Turdus merula
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Voice
Song
Alarm
Call
How to recognize it
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About 25 cm
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Adult male: glossy black plumage, yellow bill and eye-ring
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Females and juveniles: mostly dark brown; ground-feeding in short runs and hops
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Low, melodious song with fluting whistles
About the species
A male Eurasian Blackbird is glossy black, with a bright yellow bill and a narrow yellow ring around each eye. Females are dark brown, usually with a paler throat and a softly mottled breast, while juveniles have pale spots on their brown upperparts. In winter, the male’s bill becomes darker.
On the ground, it runs and hops in short bursts, stopping to pull worms from the soil or search through leaf litter. From a tree or rooftop, the male gives a varied, low fluting song; a sharp, high “see” warns of danger. Males defend territories in the breeding season, but migrants gather in small flocks.
Parks, gardens, hedges and woodland with dense undergrowth all provide places to nest and feed. Insects and earthworms are important in spring and summer, while berries and other fruit feature more in autumn and winter. Depending on the climate and latitude, some stay year-round while northern populations move south for winter.
Did you know?
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Blackbirds gave up flying south
Over the past two centuries, as British winters have grown milder, blackbirds across Britain and western Europe have steadily given up migration and become year-round residents.
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Foraging behind a mole
A female blackbird was observed following a mole tunneling just below the lawn surface, picking up every invertebrate it exposed, and actively chasing away other blackbirds to monopolize this improvised foraging opportunity.
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Excellent vocal mimic
The Eurasian Blackbird excellently reproduces sounds overheard from other birds and animals — vocal mimicry is a characteristic part of its behaviour.
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Where to find
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In city gardens and parks from March to June, listen at dawn for a melodious song from a rooftop or another elevated perch.
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On garden soil and among leaf litter, the Eurasian Blackbird makes stop-start runs and hops while searching for earthworms and other invertebrates.
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In autumn and winter, watch berry-bearing garden shrubs for fruit being picked straight from the branches.
