Turdus merula
Description
Male; Black feathers and yellow beak, yellow ring around eye.
Female; Brown with a brown beak.
Prevelance
In UK, 5,100,000 breeding pairs, up to 15 million birds may over winter.
More prevalent in urban areas than rural due to food being more abundant.
Breeding
Make nests from grass leaves and mud.
Lay 3-5 eggs (pale green).
Raise 2-3 clutches in a year, from March to August.
Lifespan
Average 2.4 years
Max recorded, 21 years!
There has been a positive correlation reported between the body weight of the blackbird and survival rates.
Diet
Eat insects and worms.
Berries taken when available; holly, hawthorn, elder, blackberry.
Ground feeder readily visits bird tables and ground feeding stations.
Enjoys berry suet, mealworms,
