![]() Read our special article for some practical tips on setting one up. Tip: In addition to supplying food, you can also build a bird feeder or feeding station blackbirds aren’t picky. As a special treat, add in some mealworms. You can buy ready-mixed packs or make your own. They are also partial to berries, fruits and seeds, so if you would like to support the birds, especially in winter, try leaving out soft food, such as oat flakes, raisins or apples. Earthworms are a particular favourite, freshly pulled from the earth, which is why you will often catch blackbirds on the ground, pecking for them with their beaks. What do blackbirds eat?īlackbirds naturally feed on worms, snails and all kinds of insects. You can help the blackbird right now in your own garden. Help the blackbird!Įven with blackbirds adapting to urbanisation, declining tree and insect populations mean they often lack nesting sites and food. So if you happen to hear a melodic blackbird song, it should be quite easy to spot the bird in a tree or on the roof of a building nearby. Males are usually quite exposed when they sing. What does a blackbird’s song sound like?īlackbirds sing loud and clear tones. While our native blackbirds are resident, in Northern Europe blackbirds tend to migrate. Migration depends on how severe winter is. Where do blackbirds spend winter?īlackbirds are part of a family of birds whose populations split some will migrate south for the winter, whilst the rest stays put. Finally, the young blackbirds leave the nest, remaining dependent on their parents for another couple of weeks, before they become independent. The mother incubates the eggs for about 14 days, after which the hatchlings are fed in the nest for a further two weeks. The location of a blackbird’s nest varies When is breeding season for blackbirds?īlackbirds breed from March to July, raising as many as five broods. Their nests are built from branches that are reinforced with moist earth and, on occasion, padded with feathers. They use trees, shrubs and hedges, as well as climbers on the walls of large buildings, and flower boxes on balconies. Where do blackbirds build their nests?īlackbirds are not very picky about their nest’s location. Above all, they need open ground or short grass where they can look for worms and insects. Blackbirds have proven themselves quite adaptable and populate parks, gardens and even large cities. With the decline of this habitat, however, you may find them in more open areas. Female blackbirds are more inconspicuous than their partners What is the perfect habitat for blackbirds?īlackbirds traditionally live in dense forests, rich with undergrowth. The yellow of the beak and eyelid ring is more distinct than in young blackbirds, but not as intense as in males. They have the same brown plumage with a lighter, dashed breast. The blackbird’s blue-green, speckled eggs are real eye-catchers How to tell the difference between male and female blackbirdsįemale blackbirds look quite similar to their young. About three centimetres large, blue-green in colour and speckled with brown spots, females lay three to six eggs per clutch. Young blackbirds are unremarkable How to recognise a blackbird eggīlackbird eggs are rather eye-catching. Their beaks are yellow-orange with dark spots, and their parents’ distinctive eyelid rings are difficult to see. They have brown plumage with light spots on their back, chest and belly. Young blackbirds are, unsurprisingly, rather plain. With black plumage and a yellow beak, male blackbirds are particularly easy to spot How to recognise a young blackbird Females are slightly different, as we discuss below. An untrained eye could confuse the blackbird with a starling – they are similar in shape and colour – but with a second glance, you’ll notice that starlings have white speckles and a blue-green iridescence, quite distinct from the blackbird.Īs it happens, the traditional black plumage only applies to male blackbirds. Blackbirds have shining, yellow beaks and matching rings around their eyes, which brings a splash of colour to an otherwise stark appearance. Worms, snails, insects, berries and fruits (real omnivores)ĭecline in natural habitat and food supply, Usutu virus How can I support blackbirds even more?.Which birdhouses are suitable for blackbirds?.What does a blackbird’s song sound like?.When is breeding season for blackbirds?.What is the perfect habitat for blackbirds?.How to tell the difference between male and female blackbirds.
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