Key information
Slightly smaller and slimmer than a blackbird - male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with their black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band. The ring ouzel is primarily a bird of the uplands, where it breeds mainly in steep sided-valleys, crags and gullies, from near sea level in the far north of Scotland up to 1,200m in the Cairngorms.
Breeding begins in mid-April and continues through to mid-July, with two broods common, and nests are located on or close to the ground in vegetation (typically in heather), in a crevice, or rarely in a tree. The young are fed a diet consisting mainly of earthworms and beetles.
What they eat:
Insects and berries.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 23-24cm
- Wingspan:
- 38-42cm
- Weight:
- 95-130g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 6,348 pairs
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Ring ouzel (male)
Ring ouzel (female)
