Young baby female blackbird being given lunch by mum in Foolow village
Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss the Blackbird, probably because there are so many of them in our gardens, but they are really gorgeously pretty birds, very sociable with humans and very loyal to each other. They are a common sight ground feeding under the birdfeeders at the bottom of the garden, pulling up worms and pecking at insects or berries at the bottom of hedgerows. They are omnivorous, so eat any type of insect but also fruit is a favourite. It’s always a nice idea to put some fruit on the floor if it’s possible, under your bird feeder for the blackbirds as they will rarely feed off your table.
Female blackbird on gatepost in The Peak District
Blackbirds are one of the commonest birds in Britain and there are thought to be over 4 million breeding pairs, although their numbers have declined a little in the last 25 years, but did you know the common blackbird is a species of true thrush? The male blackbird is all black, thus giving the bird its name, but confusingly, the female is brown, like the juvenile, with spots and streaks on their chests. Both sexes are known for their very striking yellow – orange eye ring and beak.
When they aren’t breeding, blackbirds tend to be solitary birds and they don’t really have social interaction with each other. Sometimes, if the site is particularly rich in worms, it may be possible to see a few blackbirds together but this is usually quite rare. Male black birds establish their territory during their first year, which they usually hold onto throughout their whole lives. This is essential for pair formation and nesting, although only a part of the food is obtained from within this territory. Pairs usually mate at the beginning of the year with rich warbling songs sung by the male, and a pair may hold their territory throughout the year and have several broods if the climate is favourable.
Male blackbird devouring a tasty mealworm near Eyam
Both sexes are very territorial. When it comes to their breeding grounds and they have distinctive threat displays, often sticking their tail up and fanning it out. They breed in woods and gardens, building a neat, mud lined, cup shaped nest with materials such as grass, straw and small twigs or any other plant material. The lining of mud usually is interlaced with fine grass and it can take up to 2 weeks to complete, sometimes the same nest being used for each successive brood . The female builds the nest and it is usually low down in any suitable cover such as in trees, shrubs and climbers but nests can also be found inside buildings and occasionally even on the ground.
Stunning female blackbird taken near chatsworth house
The breeding season lasts from early March to late July and chicks are often found in a nest well into August. During this time, blackbirds can rear between two and three broods but in a good year, four broods have been known to occur. It all depends on the inclement British weather. Sometimes warm or cold spells in spring can bring the season forward or delay it by several days and dry weather in June can shorten the season and can even cause starvation of late broods. The nesting season starts up to 2 weeks earlier in gardens than it does in woodland funnily enough.
Larger clutches of eggs are laid in woodland than they are in gardens and the normal clutch size is between three and five eggs. The female incubates the eggs on her own and the chicks hatch about two weeks later, usually between 13 to 15 days. Both parents feed them and chicks in gardens are fed on earthworms when they are available but woodland chicks are fed mainly on caterpillars. If the nest is disturbed the chicks can leave and survive from nearly 9 days old and this ability to fledge early is important to adapt to predators. The little birds creep and flutter from the nest and remain in nearby cover, fed by the parents for the following few days. Being flightless at first, within a week they have usually learn to fly and by this time they begin to experiment with foods, learning by trial and error what is edible and what isn’t. They explore their parent’s territory and become independent three weeks after leaving the nest but aren’t driven away by the male. It is he that looks after the fledglings while the female busies herself again making the next nest. The last brood of the season is usually divided between the parents with each adult taking sole care of some of the young.
Male blackbird feeding one of his young near Tideswell
Territory size depends on the habitat and can be quite small and territory boundaries break down when the last broods have fledged and the adults moult. During this period, many birds will feed outside their territories to find abundant food where ever they can. Albino blackbirds are not uncommon and may have white patches on their feathers but completely white individuals seldom survive as they are more conspicuous to predators. Territories are re-established in the late autumn and from spring until July; they are defended against all other blackbirds.
The Blackbird can be found all over the world including Asia, China, Europe, and the United Kingdom of course, Wales, and the Mediterranean. It has recently been introduced to Australia and New Zealand and it has a number of subspecies across its range.
The Blackbird has been immortalised in songs by the Beatles, Nina Simone and the Wurzel’s. It has also been used as the name of a punk and Norwegian rock band. There are plays about this lovely bird, video games about it, literature, and film. Immortalised forever, let’s hope we don’t need the art references to remember it by any day soon.
Female blackbird having bath in pond in Foolow