Common Blackbird

== Description ==
The Common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its song.
== Appearance ==
The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye ring, and an orange-yellow bill. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill, a brownish-white throat, and some weak mottling on the breast. The juvenile is similar to the female but has pale spots on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has a speckled breast. Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males. The first-year male resembles the adult male but has a dark bill and weaker eye ring, and its folded wing is brown, rather than black like the body plumage.
== Distribution ==
Common blackbirds breed in Europe, North Africa, India, and southern China. Populations in the north and east migrate to winter in Egypt and the west and southeast of Asia. Depending on latitude, Common blackbirds may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory. These birds live in very varied habitats, including mountainous regions and big city centers, where they inhabit open forests and forest edges, woodlands, cultivated areas, gardens, and parks if the cover is dense enough for hiding.
== Lifestyle ==
Common blackbirds are diurnal and eat mainly on the ground, turning the leaf litter to find the invertebrates hidden below. The bird runs for a short distance and stops suddenly to turn its head sideways to detect its prey and hops while it digs the ground with its bill to attract worms. It will feed in trees and bushes on the fruits and berries that it prefers. These birds will often take sunbaths, while flattened on grass or warm ground, with their beak open and their head inclined, and wings and tails spread. Common blackbirds are territorial, strongly defending their territory, mostly in urban areas where each pair does not have much space. Females may also fight, in defense of a good nest site. While winter food is available, Common blackbirds will stay within their territory for the year, although they will occupy different areas. Migrating birds are more gregarious, flying in small flocks and eating in loose groups at the wintering grounds.
== Diet ==
Common blackbirds are omnivores. They mainly eat cultivated fruits like apples, pears, strawberries, cherries, and grapes. They also eat wild berries and fruits, insects, spiders, earthworms, and some seeds, when hunting on the ground.
== Reproduction ==
Common blackbirds are monogamous and pairs usually stay together for life. Courtship displays begin very soon, often in February. Males sing at dawn. An individual will fan its tail and raise it vertically while drawing its head into its shoulders until it looks like a black ball with a yellow beak. The female fluffs up the feathers of her neck and rump in answer to the male’s display. Common blackbirds breed in spring and are able to produce three clutches. Females build a robust nest within vegetation, low down but well hidden, located in the fork of tree branches. Usually, 3 to 4 eggs are laid, greenish and mottled with brown. The female incubates the eggs, sometimes relieved by the male for brief periods, and the chicks hatch in 12 to 14 days and leave the nest when they are 13 to 14 days old. They climb into the vegetation around the nest to hide, where both parents feed them for two or three more weeks.
== Population ==
=== Population threats ===
Common blackbirds are widespread and not considered to be threatened. There have been local decreases, however, especially on farmland, possibly due to agricultural policies encouraging farmers to remove hedgerows (where the bird's nest is), increase their use of pesticides, and drain damp grassland, which may have reduced the amount of invertebrate food.
=== Population number ===
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Common blackbird population size is around 162 million to 492 million individuals. In Europe, there are about 40 million to 82 million breeding pairs, equating to 120 million to 246 million individuals. Estimates of national populations include: in China, around 100-100,000 breeding pairs; in Taiwan on migration, fewer than 50 wintering birds and fewer than 50 individuals; and in Korea, fewer than 50 individuals migrating and fewer than 50 wintering birds. Overall, currently, Common blackbirds are classified as Least Concern (LC) and their numbers today remain stable.
== Fun Facts ==
The Common blackbird makes several different calls, depending on the situation. When disturbed, it gives a low, slowly repeated “tchuc”, and when alarmed, it utters a shrill “tink-tink-tink” repeated quickly, which may become hysterical when it is faced with a dangerous predator.
If four chicks hatch, each blackbird parent cares for two of them within their territory, in two different areas.
The courtship songs of male blackbirds are very beautiful, with clear and liquid notes. Songs vary from bird to bird, but with similar musical phrases.
Blackbirds like to sing following rain.
Shakespeare called blackbirds ‘ousels’, and referred to them in Henry IV, Part 2, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Research in 2013 shows that urban lighting causes city-dwelling blackbirds to breed earlier than ones in the country.
== Gallery ==
File:Common Blackbird.webp
File:Common Blackbird31.webp
File:Common Blackbird30.webp
File:Common Blackbird29.webp
File:Common Blackbird27.webp
File:Common Blackbird26.webp
File:Common Blackbird19.webp
File:Common Blackbird28.webp
File:Common Blackbird23.webp
File:Common Blackbird20.webp
File:Common Blackbird22.webp
File:Common Blackbird24.webp
File:Common Blackbird25.webp
File:Common Blackbird15.webp
File:Common Blackbird18.webp
File:Common Blackbird16.webp
File:Common Blackbird13.webp
File:Common Blackbird12.webp
File:Common Blackbird11.webp
File:Common Blackbird10.webp
File:Common Blackbird9.webp
File:Common Blackbird2.webp
File:Common Blackbird3.webp
File:Common Blackbird5.webp
File:Common Blackbird7.webp
File:Common Blackbird4.webp
File:Common Blackbird21.webp
File:Common Blackbird6.webp
File:Common Blackbird8.webp
File:Common Blackbird14.webp
== Main References ==
https://animalia.bio/common-blackbird
Category:Animals
Category:Animalia
Category:Chordata
Category:Vertebrata
Category:Vertebrates
Category:Aves
Category:Birds
Category:Passeriformes
Category:Turdidae
Category:Turdus
Category:Diurnal Animals
Category:Omnivores
Category:Terrestrial Animals
Category:Altricial Animals
Category:Arboreal Animals
Category:Zoochorous Animals
Category:Territorial Animals
Category:Oviparous Animals
Category:Congregatory Animals
Category:Monogamous Animals
Category:Social Animals
Category:Flocking Birds
Category:Partially Migrational Animals
Category:Asian Animals
Category:European Animals
Category:African Animals
Category:North American Animals
Category:Oceanian Animals
Category:South Asian Animals
Category:North African Animals
Category:Western Asian Animals
Category:East Asian Animals
Category:Central Asian Animals
Category:Animals of Albania
Category:Animals of Algeria
Category:Animals of Andorra
Category:Animals of Armenia
Category:Animals of Austria
Category:Animals of Azerbaijan
Category:Animals of Belarus
Category:Animals of Belgium
Category:Animals of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Category:Animals of Bulgaria
Category:Animals of China
Category:Animals of Croatia
Category:Animals of Cyprus
Category:Animals of Czech Republic
Category:Animals of Denmark
Category:Animals of Estonia
Category:Animals of the Faroe Islands
Category:Animals of Finland
Category:Animals of France
Category:Animals of Georgia
Category:Animals of Germany
Category:Animals of Greece
Category:Animals of Hungary
Category:Animals of Iceland
Category:Animals of Iran
Category:Animals of Iraq
Category:Animals of Ireland
Category:Animals of Israel
Category:Animals of Italy
Category:Animals of Jordan
Category:Animals of Kuwait
Category:Animals of Latvia
Category:Animals of Lebanon
Category:Animals of Liechtenstein
Category:Animals of Lithuania
Category:Animals of Luxembourg
Category:Animals of Macedonia
Category:Animals of Malta
Category:Animals of Moldova
Category:Animals of Montenegro
Category:Animals of Morocco
Category:Animals of the Netherlands
Category:Animals of Norway
Category:Animals of Palestine
Category:Animals of Poland
Category:Animals of Portugal
Category:Animals of Russia
Category:Animals of Romania
Category:Animals of Saudi Arabia
Category:Animals of Serbia
Category:Animals of Slovakia
Category:Animals of Slovenia
Category:Animals of Spain
Category:Animals of Sweden
Category:Animals of Switzerland
Category:Animals of Syria
Category:Animals of Tunisia
Category:Animals of Turkey
Category:Animals of Ukraine
Category:Animals of the United Arab Emirates
Category:Animals of the United Kingdom
Category:Animals of Western Sahara
Category:Animals of Bahrain
Category:Animals of Canada
Category:Animals of Egypt
Category:Animals of Kazakhstan
Category:Animals of Kyrgyzstan
Category:Animals of Libya
Category:Animals of Qatar
Category:Animals of Tajikistan
Category:Animals of Turkmenistan
Category:Animals of the United States
Category:Animals of Uzbekistan
Category:Animals of Afghanistan
Category:Animals of Australia
Category:Animals of New Zealand
Category:Least Concern Animals