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26

Common Blackbird

(Turdus merula)
Alternate name(s): "Eurasian Blackbird"
German name(s): "Amsel"

Size: 24-29 cm; wing span 34-38 cm
Weight: 80-120 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Common Blackbird at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "merula"

This race is also called the "European Blackbird".

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Common Blackbird; note the orange bill (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2018]

Frontal view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2017]

Frontal view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)

Near-lateral view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]

Lateral view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2014]

Lateral view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2018]

Lateral view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Lateral view of a hunched male Common Blackbird on a rainy day (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a male Common Blackbird; depending on the angle of the infalling sunlight, the bird can look more or less scalloped (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a male Common Blackbird; depending on the angle of the infalling sunlight, the bird can look more or less scalloped (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]

Here what looks like a very sick male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Queluz, Lisbon, Portugal, December 2016]

Here what looks like a very sick male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Queluz, Lisbon, Portugal, December 2016]

Lateral view of a male Common Blackbird in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Common Blackbird; note the brownish-grey plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2017]

Near-frontal view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2020]

Lateral view of a female Common Blackbird
[April 2006]

Lateral view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Lateral view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, January 2018]

Lateral view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hyde Park, London, England, September 2019]

Direct comparison of a female Common Blackbird, right, with a Mistle Thrush (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Direct comparison of a female Common Blackbird with a Great Tit (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, February 2017]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature male Common Blackbird; note the still mostly black bill (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Near-lateral view of an immature male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)

Male Common Blackbird with an immature male (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Juvenile male Common Blackbird starting to moult into adult plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, September 2017]

Near-lateral view of an immature Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, September 2017]

Near-dorsal view of an immature male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2022]

Female Common Blackbird feeding a dependent juvenile (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Naturschutzgebiet Wallnau/Fehmarn, Fehmarn, Germany, June 2018]

Precocial Common Blackbird chick that has left its nest too early (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Race "azorensis"

This race is also called the "Azores Blackbird".

ADULT

MALE

Lateral view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Dorsal view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Lateral view of a female Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]

Race "cabrerae"

This race is also called the "Madeiran Blackbird".

ADULT

MALE

Lateral view of a male Common Blackbird on the prowl (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Madeira, Portugal, November 2022]

Lateral view of a male Common Blackbird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Madeira, Portugal, November 2022]

Two male Common Blackbirds feasting on fruit (photo courtesy of A. Heintz and I. Hamzaoui)
[Tenerife, February 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Aug Eggs: 3 - 5 Incubation period: 12 - 14 days Fledging age: 10 - 19 days

The length of the breeding season depends on geographic latitude and can start in February in southern parts of the range. Two and even three broods can be raised in a particularly successful season.

Nest building: Female Incubation: Female Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Basket Material: Grass (mud) Height above ground: 0.5 - 2(?) m

Common Blackbird nest on a tree stump, about 0.5 m from the ground (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Female Common Blackbird collecting nest material (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)

Eggs

Size: 29 x 21 mm Colour: Turquoise-grey, with small grey-brown speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Four eggs in a Common Blackbird nest (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

View from above into a Common Blackbird nest with four eggs (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Sedentary/migratory Elementary unit: Pair

Common Blackbirds can be very tame. We have seen pairs nesting in flower boxes right outside the entrance doors of houses, where the female would remain on the nest even while being patted.

"Here comes trouble...!" - Common Blackbirds are territorial and incursions are strongly discouraged by the owner/occupier (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2018]

Male Common Blackbird settling a territorial dispute (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2019]

Male Common Blackbird calling from a high perch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Female Common Blackbird taking a bath (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Food, Diet

Adults: Insects, worms, fruit Dependents: Like adults Water intake: ?

Common Blackbirds are omnivores, with a wide-ranging diet that includes insects, earthworms and fruit, including berries.

Especially in autumn/winter Common Blackbird take a lot of fruit (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Wittlich, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, January 2021]

Especially in autumn/winter Common Blackbird take a lot of fruit (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Wittlich, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, January 2021]

Young male Common Blackbird in the land of plenty (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Padstow, Cornwall, England, September 2019]

Female Common Blackbird taking a blackberry (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2014]

Grape thief caught "red-beaked": Male Common Blackbird picking grapes off a vine in a suburban garden
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, April 2016]

Lateral portrait of a male Common Blackbird with its prey, earth worms for its brood
[Kueser Plateau, Rheinland-Pfalz, August 2014]

When Common Blackbirds are seen in fruit trees with green fruit, they are usually after grubs, not the fruit
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

blkbird_dw_20160527.m4a merula
(Poland)
Territorial song (male) © DW
blkbird_dw_20170403.m4a merula
(Poland)
Territorial song (male) + dispute © DW
blkbird_dw_20190602.m4a merula
(Poland)
Territorial dispute © DW
blkbird_jp_20201031.m4a merula
(Portugal)
Alarm calls (pair) © JP
blkbird_jp_20220216.mp3 merula
(Portugal)
Upset/alarm © JP

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.