Mike Hazzledine -- British Biodiversity
BB 056... Juvenile Blackbird (4th Thrush species in this series)
Blackbird Turdus merula
The blackbird is a thrush of the family Turdidae and known in North America as the Eurasian Blackbird to distinguish it from the New World Blackbirds. The male has black plumage with a yellow eye-ring and bill, whilst the female is dark brown. It is a resident bird in Britain and a very familiar bird, found in woods and gardens. The blackbird was know up until the 17th century as the Ouzel or Wosel, and this name still remains for another thrush, the Ring Ouzel which is also present in Britain. The Ring Ouzel is very similar to the blackbird, both in appearance and behaviour, but is identified by a white patch across the breast and is a bird of higher land and mountains. (I do not have a shot of a ring ouzel). The blackbird has an omnivorous diet of insects, earthworms and berries as do most thrushes.
The Beatles sang of a 'Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night' but blackbirds do not sing during the night. The rich melodious and slowly delivered song is very similar to that of the song thrush but the phrases are not repeated as with the song thrush. The song of the blackbird is so evocative of late summer evenings, sitting in the garden with a glass of wine.
BB 056... Juvenile Blackbird (4th Thrush species in this series)
Blackbird Turdus merula
The blackbird is a thrush of the family Turdidae and known in North America as the Eurasian Blackbird to distinguish it from the New World Blackbirds. The male has black plumage with a yellow eye-ring and bill, whilst the female is dark brown. It is a resident bird in Britain and a very familiar bird, found in woods and gardens. The blackbird was know up until the 17th century as the Ouzel or Wosel, and this name still remains for another thrush, the Ring Ouzel which is also present in Britain. The Ring Ouzel is very similar to the blackbird, both in appearance and behaviour, but is identified by a white patch across the breast and is a bird of higher land and mountains. (I do not have a shot of a ring ouzel). The blackbird has an omnivorous diet of insects, earthworms and berries as do most thrushes.
The Beatles sang of a 'Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night' but blackbirds do not sing during the night. The rich melodious and slowly delivered song is very similar to that of the song thrush but the phrases are not repeated as with the song thrush. The song of the blackbird is so evocative of late summer evenings, sitting in the garden with a glass of wine.