This bold and handsome bird is a common garden visitor, denizen of the local park, bird of hedgerow and woodland, coastal scrub and farmland. It is only absent from the highest peaks, where it is often replaced by the striking Ring Ouzel – an uncommon summer visitor, also known historically as the ‘mountain blackbird’.
Get to know the UK’s thrushes, including the Fieldfares and Redwings that flock here for the winter. Read on to find out more about this fascinating family of birds and for ID tips.
They are on the Green List of Birds of Conservation Concern, meaning they are of least concern.
One of our commonest birds, Blackbirds can be seen all year-round. Most are resident, though some do move south in the winter. However, the UK population increases significantly each autumn as huge numbers from northern Europe join ‘our’ birds, to spend the relatively milder winter months here.
With over 5 million pairs breeding in the UK, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding one or two!
Often seen hopping on the ground or turning over leaves. Look for males up high, singing their hearts out from a song post!
Blackbirds have a range of different phrases that they sing and are one of the favourite garden songbirds. They make a harsh repeated ‘clucking’ sound when alarmed.
The song can be heard all year round, but most regularly during the breeding season between March and June. They’re a leading voice in the UK’s dawn chorus, no matter where you are, but they often kick off the dusk orchestra too. Listen out for a Blackbird’s melody on a warm, summer evening.
Blackbirds like to perch at height, giving them a bird’s eye view of their surrounds. Scan the skyline to find these songsters – you’ll often find them on a tree’s top branches or on a roof.
In the colder months, listen out for melodic Blackbird calls. When they spot danger, like a neighbourhood cat, their alarm calls erupt in an explosive rattle of urgent "chuks" and high-pitched "chinks". It couldn't be more different than their tuneful spring song.
There are between five to six million pairs of breeding Blackbirds in the UK, so it’s safe to say that their tactics are tried and tested!
Their nests are sturdy, built from twisted twigs glued together with mud. They can withstand months of weather and are sometimes still visible beyond breeding season, well into the winter months, when our trees are bare, and nests are no longer lost amongst their canopies.
A Blackbird’s nest is built almost entirely by the female, where she will lay roughly three to four eggs. She may also have multiple broods throughout the spring and summer, building a new nest for each clutch.
Head outside and discover fascinating birds each month. Read on for top ID tips, what to listen for, and where to see them.
Look for the male's black plumage, yellow bill and eye-ring. Females are mainly dark brown with a bit of streaking on the chin and mottling on the chest.
Blackbirds are almost exclusively ground feeders, eating worms, insects, berries and fruit.
Blackbirds usually nest from March to August and can raise several broods each year.
Blackbirds nest in bushes, hedges, trees and climbing plants, often close to the ground. Occasionally nests are even found on the ground.
Most UK Blackbirds stay all year, although some northern birds migrate south in winter.
Blackbirds live in the UK all year but in autumn, we are joined by large numbers from northern Europe to spend winter here.
Most UK Blackbirds stay year-round, although some migrate south for winter
No. Blackbirds are common and widespread across the UK, including in gardens and parks.
Blackbirds typically live for around three years, although some live much longer.
Their mountainous cousins, the Ring Ouzel, looks very similar but the males have a white crescent on the breast and females have scaly marks on their flanks and under the tail. They are not here all year round and often visit gardens on passage in autumn.