Common Blackbird
Turdus merula
Where is it found?
|
|
Woodlands, urban parks and gardens.
Diet and foraging method
|
Feeds on the ground. Pulls worms from the soil, probes leaf litter for insects, and sometimes perch in bushes to feed.
|
Key adaptations
Blackbirds have different coloured plumage depending on their age - when they're younger and more vulnerable to predators, they have brown speckled feathers for camouflage.
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary
|
|
|
|
Form breeding pairs
|
Mainly monogamous
|
Some extra pair paternity due to promiscuity.
|
Did you know that...?
Only male Blackbirds are black! Females are brown with spots and streaks on their breast.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Blackbird in sunlight" by © Francis C. Franklin / CC-BY-SA-3.0. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blackbird_in_sunlight.JPG#/media/File:Blackbird_in_sunlight.JPG
"Common Blackbird" by Andreas Trepte - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Blackbird.jpg#/media/File:Common_Blackbird.jpg
"Turdus merula 1" by Gollibolli - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turdus_merula_1.JPG#/media/File:Turdus_merula_1.JPG
"Amselnest lokilech" by Lokilech - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amselnest_lokilech.jpg#/media/File:Amselnest_lokilech.jpg
"Turdus merula nestlings, merel jongen (2)" by Rasbak - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turdus_merula_nestlings,_merel_jongen_(2).jpg#/media/File:Turdus_merula_nestlings,_merel_jongen_(2).jpg
"Blackbird in sunlight" by © Francis C. Franklin / CC-BY-SA-3.0. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blackbird_in_sunlight.JPG#/media/File:Blackbird_in_sunlight.JPG
"Common Blackbird" by Andreas Trepte - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Blackbird.jpg#/media/File:Common_Blackbird.jpg
"Turdus merula 1" by Gollibolli - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turdus_merula_1.JPG#/media/File:Turdus_merula_1.JPG
"Amselnest lokilech" by Lokilech - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amselnest_lokilech.jpg#/media/File:Amselnest_lokilech.jpg
"Turdus merula nestlings, merel jongen (2)" by Rasbak - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turdus_merula_nestlings,_merel_jongen_(2).jpg#/media/File:Turdus_merula_nestlings,_merel_jongen_(2).jpg
