Juvenile blackbirds are lighter brown in colour than females, with more rufous mottled upper parts. Sub-adult males are brownish black with a black bill. The blackbird occurs naturally in Eurasia and North Africa. It was introduced to Victoria before 1862, and spread throughout Victoria, Tasmania, southern New South Wales and eastern South Australia. The male blackbird's distinctive song during the breeding season is loud and melodious with a flute-like quality.
Males often sing from high perches.
Both sexes produce a variety of other calls and can also mimic native birds. The birds spend much of their time on the ground, walking or swiftly bounding with occasional flickering of the wings. Frequent pauses are made with the head tilted to one side as if listening. Blackbirds often forage in the open, but as they are timid, cover is usually close by. When they forage in leaf litter under trees and bushes, they can sound like a person walking through the bush.