page_title: Fieldfare
section_title: Breeding
hierarchical_section_title: Fieldfare / Breeding
caption_attribution_description: Norsk bokmål: Gråtrostunger i Tufjorden i Finnmark English: Fieldfare nestlings at Tufjorden in Finnmark Turdus pilaris, РАБІ́ННІК, дрозд-рабіннік, Рабіньнік, Хвойнов дрозд, Griva cerdana, Drozd kvíčala, Socan Eira, Sjagger, Wacholderdrossel, Hallrästas, Fieldfare, Zorzal real, Grive litorne, Fjildlyster, cesena, ბოლოშავა, Smilginis strazdas, Fenyőrigó, Kramsvogel, Schatliester, ノハラツグミ, Kwiczoł[edytuj], Sturz, Рябинник, Drozd čvíkotavý, Räkättirastas, Björktrast, Tarla ardıç kuşu, 田鸫
context_page_description: The fieldfare is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It breeds in woodland and scrub in northern Europe and across the Palearctic. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It is a very rare breeder in the British Isles, but winters in large numbers in the United Kingdom, Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of molluscs, insects and earthworms in the summer, and berries, grain and seeds in the winter.
  Fieldfares often nest in small colonies, possibly for protection from predators. The nest is built in a tree where five or six eggs are laid. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest after a fortnight. There may be two broods in southern parts of the range but only one further north. Migrating birds and wintering birds often form large flocks, often in the company of redwings.
  The fieldfare is 25 cm long, with a grey crown, neck and rump, a plain brown back, dark wings and tail and white underwings. The breast and flanks are heavily spotted. The breast has a reddish wash and the rest of the underparts are white.
context_section_description: The breeding season starts in May in Poland but further north in Scandinavia may not start until early July. The female fieldfare builds a cup-shaped nest with no attempt at concealment. The location is often in woodland but may be in a hedgerow, garden, among rocks, in a pile of logs, in a hut or on the ground. Fieldfares usually nest in close proximity to others of the same species. The adults will defend the nest aggressively and nesting gregariously may offer protection from predators. The nest is built of dried grasses and weeds with a few twigs and a little moss, with a lining of mud and an inner lining of fine grasses. There are usually five to six eggs in a clutch, but occasionally three, four, seven or eight eggs are laid. The eggs vary in size from 28.8 by 20.9 millimetres (1.13 in × 0.82 in) to 33.5 by 23.4 millimetres (1.32 in × 0.92 in) and are variable in colour. Many are pale blue speckled with fine brown dots and resemble those of the common blackbird. Others are bright blue, with or without larger red-brown splotches. Incubation starts before all the eggs are laid and lasts for thirteen to fourteen days. The female does all or most of the incubation. The chicks are altricial and both parents bring food to them. They are usually ready to leave the nest after fourteen to sixteen days and there may be two broods in the season, especially in the southern parts of the breeding range.
caption: Nest and chicks
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