Pl. LXXVI
The Birds · Plate LXXVI
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
Turdidae · Taxon 12716
| Length | 23.5–29 cm |
| Wingspan | 34–38 cm |
| Weight | 80–125 g |
Field marks
- Adult male glossy black overall, including wings and long tail
- Bright orange-yellow bill and narrow yellow eye-ring on adult male
- Female sooty brown with a paler throat and lightly mottled breast
- Rounded, compact thrush body with a relatively long tail
- Dark brownish-black legs and feet
HabitatWoodland and woodland edges with dense undergrowth, as well as hedgerows, scrub, farmland, parks, and gardens; commonly uses open ground beside dense cover for feeding.
BehaviorDiurnal and territorial; forages mainly on the ground with short runs and hops, searching soil and leaf litter for earthworms and other invertebrates while also eating fruit and seeds. Often sings from an elevated perch. Populations may be resident or seasonally migratory.
Palette
coal blacksooty brownorange-yellowgolden yellowdark brown