Blackbird

Turdus merula

This is a lie as it is only the adult males that are a real sooty black - with an orange-yellow eye-ring and bill. The young birds and females are actually brown-birds and not black.

This is a rather large thrush and very common through most of Europe and in parts of India and the Far East. There are even introduced populations in SE Australia and New Zealand. For American readers this is very like your own American Robin in size, shape and habits. Northern populations are migratory as they inhabit areas where the weather gets too severe in the winter. Its song is confident and quite varied - pleasing to the Human ear. Population in Britain and Ireland over 6,000,000 breeding pairs. Territories - sparse ion mountains and off-shore islands of the North.

A large and common thrush.

Length	245 mm
Closed wing	128 mm
Weight	100 gms

A Bird On! Sketch by Chris Mead
Copyright © 1996 by Jacobi Jayne & Company and Chris Mead