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26

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) German name(s): "Wacholderdrossel" Size: 22-27 cm; wing span: 39-42 cm Weight: 80-125 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

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Fieldfares are large thrushes. They have a grey crown, grey sides of the head and also nape of the neck. The lores are black. The front, from the chin to the breast, is heavily streaked dark-grey, while the sides of the breast and the flanks are scalloped dark-grey. The breast has an ochre to rufous patch. The chin and lower breast are more pinkish. The sides have light-grey edge lining on the feathers. The belly, vent and undertail coverts are white. The upperparts are dark grey-brown, the flight feathers being the darkest grey, with light-grey edge lining. The tail is dark-grey. Males tend to have more speckling down the front, more scalloping on the sides and a brighter base of the bill than females. The irises of both sexes are dark. The bill is yellow to orange, with a black tip. The legs and feet are dark-grey. Juveniles have no, or hardly any, breast patch and a light-grey rump and lower back. Twitcher's tip Compared to Mistle Thrushes, Fieldfares have a conspicuous ochre to rufous chest patch and thereby look more colourful.

Taxonomy, classification See Fieldfare 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 Fieldfare is available HERE . Fieldfares are a migratory Eurasian species. Their range extends from Iceland in the North-west, via large parts of Europe, into Asia Minor, parts of the Middle East, and into western and central Asia. In the northern parts of their range they are found as breeding migrants, in the temperate regions they are permanent residents, while in the southern-most locations they are winter visitors. The winter quarters extend from the European Mediterranean countries, plus Asia Minor (except Anatolia), the Mediterranean East coast and north-eastern Egypt, to the South coast of the Caspian Sea. In Europe Fieldfares are found all year round in the central and eastern parts of the continent and in southern Scandinavia, plus the western coastal fringe of Norway. In summertime they extend their breeding range to include all of Scandinavia and north-western Russia. In winter they migrate to western and south-western Europe, including the British Isles, plus the European Mediterranean countries. During the breeding season Fieldfares have a preference for mixed woodland near wet or moist open areas, such as marshes, moors or wet pasture, but they are also found in urban parks and gardens. In winter they are mostly present in open country, often with scattered shrubs, especially if they still bear fruit.

Sightings Click here for sighting information D. Wilczynska reports spotting Fieldfares in the township of Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland - and in neighbouring areas in central Poland - semi-regularly, especially in winter. H. Dahlem-Senger found three Fieldfares near Eltville, Hessen, Germany, in December 2017, and another in January 2020. Two more were spotted in January and February 2021, respectively. M. Eaton reports finding Fieldfares near near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, and at Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, in June 2018. At the latter location they were nesting at the time. Fieldfares were also found by H. Dahlem-Senger near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, in September 2020.

Photos

ADULT

MALE

BREEDING

Near-lateral view of a male Fieldfare in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a male Fieldfare in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a male Fieldfare; note how this bird's plumage and base of the bill are much more conspicuous than seen below, in the accompanying female (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Lateral view of a male Fieldfare in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

FEMALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a female Fieldfare in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

Near-frontal view of a female Fieldfare in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a female Fieldfare; note how this bird's plumage and base of the bill are much paler than seen above, in the male (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Near-frontal view of a female Fieldfare (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a female Fieldfare (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, December 2017]

Near-dorsal view of a female Fieldfare (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2017]

Pair of Fieldfares; probably the male, in non-breeding plumage, is seen at the top, the female at the bottom
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Ostrow Mazowiecka, Masovia, Poland, January 2016]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Fieldfare; note the all-yellow bill (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Frontal view of a wet Fieldfare (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Fieldfare; note the absence of an ochre chest patch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Fieldfare (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Fieldfare (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Dorsal view of a Fieldfare (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a fledgling Fieldfare (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: May - Aug

Eggs: 4 - 5

Incubation period: 13 - 14 days

Fledging age: 14 - 16 days

The length of the breeding season depends on geographic latitude and may not start before July in northern parts of the range. In the southern parts of their breeding range there may be 2 broods per season. 3-8 eggs can be laid, although usually the clutch size is 4-5.

Nest building: Female

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Basket

Material: Twigs, mud, moss, with grass lining

Height above ground: 0 - 2(?) m

Fieldfare nest with (probably) 3 chicks in it (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Closer look at two chicks in a Fieldfare nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Eggs

Size: 29 x 21 mm

Colour: Pale blue-grey with, red-brown speckles; or bright blue, with or without speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Food, Diet

Near-lateral view of a male Fieldfare in breeding plumage with its prey, an earthworm (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

Dorsal view of a Fieldfare with food for its chicks, several earthworms (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Skjervoy, near Tromso, Norway, June 2018]

Two Fieldfares foraging on a meadow (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Near Oberkirch, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, September 2020]

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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