Blackbird - Turdus merula

Blackbird

Turdus merula

Order : Passeriformes

Family : Turdidae ;

Biometrics :

Size : 24 à 25 cm
Wingspan : 34 à 38,5 cm
Weight : 80 à 110 g

Longevity : 16 years

IUCN conservation status :

Extinct

Threatened

Least
concern

Extinc
in the Wild

Near
threatened

Not
evaluated

EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

Geographic range :

Synonyms : Chyorny Drozd (ru), Koltrast (sv), Mirlo común (es), Merlo (it), Amsel (al), Merel (nl), Blackbird (en)

Physical description :
Common Blackbird male adult has entire jet-black plumage, with contrasting orange-yellow eye ring and bill. Eyes, legs and feet are black.
Female is browner than male, with pale brown throat and breast. She often has two tones bill (blackish and pale yellow), and pale brown eye ring. Eyes, legs and feet are pale brown.
Juvenile has brown plumage, speckled buffy-white on underparts. Young males of one year old keeps the brown wing feathers grown in the nest, and dark bills reaches its yellow colour at one year too.
Common Blackbird is very susceptible to albinism. Individuals may have several white feathers contrasting with their dark plumage. Albinism is a complete lack of pigment.

Voice :
Sound from CD 'Tous les Oiseaux d'Europe' by Jean C. Roché by courtesy of Sittelle and CEBA. Common Blackbird call includes a low 'chuck-chuck-chuck', accelerated into a hysterical chatter when alarmed. Flight call is a thin and shivering 'seeee'. Often heard at dusk, the continual 'pink-pink-pink' is also an alarm call and a pre-roost.
Song, delivered from a prominent post, is a beautiful series of melodious and flute-like notes, loud clear notes combined to make phrases, lasting about six seconds, before ending with a pause of same length, and starting again.

Habitat : Common Blackbird lives in all kinds of forests and woodlands, with undergrowth, forest edges, tall scrubs, farmlands, parks and gardens, and also urban areas.
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE: Common Blackbird breeds in North Africa, and from Europe to India, and southern China. Populations from North and East migrate to winter in Egypt and South West and East of Asia. This species was introduced in Australia and New Zealand in the 1850s.

Behaviour : Common Blackbird is mainly a ground-feeder, moving by series if short hopping runs. The bird cocks its head to look for food. To draw a worm from the ground, Blackbird hops rapidly and captures it with the bill, pulling it slowly from earth. They also turn over leaf litter to expose hidden prey.
When it lands on an open perch, Common Blackbird posture is wings down and cocked tail. They enjoy sunbathing, and for that, they adopt a posture to 'catch' the sun, with fluffed feathers on entire body, fanned tail and wings, erect crest and open bill, flatten on the ground.
During breeding season, strongly territorial fights are rare, but occasionally, two males may fight, in front of each other, calling, just above the ground, with feet and claws towards the opponent. They don't live in flocks. They are very territorial and chase intruders away. Females may fight together too, to defend a good nesting territory.

Flight : Common Blackbird is able to cover great distances on migration, and they travel in flocks at night. They usually fly low to the ground and only cover short distances. It may have fast flight with rapid wing beats.

Reproduction-nesting : Common Blackbird nests in hedgerows, thickets or deciduous shrubs. Pairs are formed in early winter, and first nests appears at the end if cold weather.
Female builds the nest, and male brings some materials. Nest is an open cup, made with grass, twigs, mud, mosses and rootlets. It is lined with fine grass.
Female lays 3 to 6 blue-green eggs, spotted with brown-reddish marks. Incubation lasts about two weeks, by female. Male may replace her for a few moments, when she leaves the nest.
Altricial chicks are fed by both parents, with a varied rich diet. Young fledge at about 12 to 13 days after hatching. Parents feed them for three weeks more, and they become independent when they are one month old.
This species produces two or three broods per season, sometimes more.

Food habits : Common Blackbird feeds mainly on insects, spiders, earthworms, various seeds, fruit and berries.

Protection / threats : Common Blackbird can be a pest in orchards, in Australia and New Zealand, because it has an effect on natural ecosystems.
They have predators, such as corvidae and domestic cats.

Other links :
Iucn
Birdlife

Specification sheet created by Nicole Bouglouan

Qui sommes-nous ? L'association | Mentions légales | Sources | Contacts | Print version
Updated on 2008/05/04 05:30:55 - © 1996-2008 Oiseaux.net