Common Blackbird

Turdus merula

The male is black with an orange-yellow bill and eye-ring, while the female is dark brown with a slightly speckled throat. Once a shy forest bird, it only began colonising towns in the 19th century – today its fluting song is often heard there even before dawn.

Group
Songbirds
Photos
2
Taken
2021–2022

Profile: Common Blackbird

Family
Thrushes (Turdidae)
Size
24–27 cm
Wingspan
approx. 34–38.5 cm
Weight
approx. 71–150 g
Habitat
Originally woodland with dense undergrowth, today equally parks, cemeteries and gardens right into city centres.
Diet
Earthworms, insects and snails taken from the ground, plus plenty of berries and fruit in summer and autumn.
When to see
Seen all year in Central Europe; some local birds move to southern Europe or North Africa for the winter, while northern populations migrate south.

Learn more: Wikipedia · NABU (German)