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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

Europe: Family Group 26 Family Group 26 Table Crested Lark Thekla's Lark Zitting Cisticola Great Reed Warbler Eurasian Reed Warbler Sedge Warbler Marsh Warbler Savi's Warbler Icterine Warbler Melodious Warbler Cetti's Warbler Redwing Fieldfare Mistle Thrush Song Thrush Ring Ouzel Common Blackbird Common Starling Spotless Starling Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Common Blackbirds have their name because of the males' appearance. Their plumage is black throughout, with yellow-orange bill, eye-rings and legs. Females are inconspicuously brown, with a subtly streaked front, brown bill and legs, and no visible eye-rings.

Taxonomy, classification See Common Blackbird at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Common Blackbird is available HERE . There are about 20 races of Common Blackbirds, which together populate the temperate climate regions of Eurasia (as far to the East as central Asia), North Africa, South-west Asia and the Canary Islands. Where made possible by climate, they are sedentary, elsewhere they are migratory. They avoid altitudes above about 1000 m. There are also large introduced populations in both New Zealand and south-eastern Australia. In Europe the range of Common Blackbirds, nominate race "merula", encompasses most of the continent, from southern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean Sea, from the British Isles to the Baltic countries. While in the northernmost part of this range they only stay in summer, in the southernmost areas they are found only during the winter. Common Blackbirds can be found in woodland, especially in areas with decidious trees with dense undergrowth, but - being quite tolerant of humans - they have developed a preference for gardens with both dense shrubs and open grassy areas.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "merula" Common Blackbirds were found breeding in good numbers e.g. on the Kueser Plateau, near the river Mosel, Rheinland-Pfalz, in August 2014. Various contributors also report sightings from different locations along the river Rhine in Germany. D. Wilczynska reports seeing Common Blackbirds regularly, and finding them nesting in April 2016, at Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland. J. Pires reports spotting Common Blackbirds, race "merula", regularly in and around Mora, Evora, Portugal. M. Eaton reports finding Common Blackbirds, race "merula", near Padstow and Wadebridge, Cornwall, England, and in Hyde Park, London, England, in September 2019. We have seen Common Blackbirds, nominate race "merula", basically everywhere in suitable habitats in Germany, from the South (Bavaria) via the central parts of Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen, Nordrhein-Westfalen) to the North (Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein), since the 1960ies. Race "azorensis" J. Pires reports finding Common Blackbirds, race "azorensis", on different islands of the Azores in November 2018. Race "cabrerae" A. Heintz and I. Hamzaoui report spotting Common Blackbirds, race "cabrerae", on Tenerife Island in February 2018. J. Pires found Common Blackbirds, race "cabrerae", on Madeira, Portugal, in November 2022.

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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Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Thu, 27 April 2023, 23:27 +00:00