The Blackbird (Turdus merula)
The common European Blackbird is one of the most intensely productive birds in the UK, with approximately 6,000,000 breeding pairs. It’s Latinate name, Turdus merula is a binomial name deriving from two Latin parts: Turdus ‘thrush’ and merula ‘Blackbird’. There are around 65 species of thrushes, which are categorised according to their song, rounded heads and pointed wings. The common Blackbird we know in the UK looks to have evolved from the Island Thrush in South East Asia.
Most people would imagine a Blackbird as the frequent ground-feeding bird in our gardens, the bird with a striking deep-black plumage, yellow beak and similarly-coloured ring around each eye. However, both juvenile and female varieties are quite different, displaying an intense reddish-brown plumage and dark-brown striped beak.
Most Blackbirds, even from an early age, seem to hop along the ground at a rapid scurry, foraging for food among leaves, soil and undergrowth. They are a gregarious bird and do not shy away easily around humans, although you are unlikely ever to see a Blackbird perch on your hand like the ever popular Robin.
Nesting & Breeding
The breeding season for Blackbirds begins in March and can last up to the end of July. Over the course of the breeding season, Blackbirds typically have between two and three broods, although as many as four have been recorded in the space of a single season. This, of course, is heavily dependent on weather, as dryer/wetter weather can have an impact on brood numbers.
In any one clutch, you can expect to see between 3 – 5 eggs. Once these hatch, around 14 days after being laid, most of the chicks are fed on earthworms (garden) and caterpillars (woodland) until they are ready to fledge, the primary responsibility of the male while the female prepares the nest for the next brood.
Territory & Migration
Blackbirds are a fiercely territorial bird, especially in smaller areas. They’re not quite as aggressive as Robins, but still very stubborn about their ground. Rarely will a Blackbird stick to its territory for rich food pickings; often they will search afar for hearty sustenance.
In most cases, the territorial holdings will break down at the end of the final brood, after which many birds move to seek food in the countryside and other abundant food sources.
Blackbirds in the UK are resident all year round, although you’re far more likely to see them over winter, the breeding and fledgling seasons. Native numbers will swell considerably over winter when Scandinavian Blackbirds arrive for the slightly warmer climate, after which these northern European birds will return in early spring in time for the breeding season.
Culture & History
In 618 in Ireland, a little known man called Kevin (later St Kevin of Glendalough) was apparently in prayer in his monastery, when with outstretched hand a Blackbird flew down, built a nest and into which an egg was laid. According to legend, he was in such intense prayer with outstretched hands that the egg eventually hatched, and ever since he has been called the patron saint of the Blackbird.
Even Nobel Prize-winning poets have created odes to Kevin, in the form of Seamus Heaney’s St Kevin and the Blackbird. 
St Kevin of Glendalough, the patron saint of Blackbirds
We have a blackbird that sits on the patio door handle, taps on the glass for food.one summer day when the door was open it came in for a split second.not shy woodland creature’s as once thought.
I had a blackbird for a year who came every morning for his food then one day a sparrow hawk caught him the cry from the blackbird was heartbreaking and I couldn’t help him as he was taken away now I am wary about where I feed the birds so be careful x
Agree. It’s so awful when they are taken. I have planted several trees in my small garden and now they are now grown enough to provide some cover from the sky-view of the hawks.
I really enjoyed reading about the black bird. Having a breakfast cup of tea in bed. A few relaxing moments of learning something interesting and new.
I am putting you in my favourites file . To continue reading and learning about our beautiful birds.
Hi Cath,
Thanks for the comment. We’re happy you enjoyed the article, especially over a cup of tea.
Do blackbirds have a weak constitution? Why do they fall dead out of the sky, sometimes in vast numbers.
How very interesting, I loved hearing about the Black bird, I look forward to finding out about others. I have some feeding on my peanut feeder and am not sure if they’re blue tits or chaff finches.
Blackbirds are my all time favourite bird, I absolutely adore them. I am a lover of all birds and feed them daily enjoying their calls and their waiting around until food is put into feeders for them. I always put out fruit for the blackbirds as well as they love apples and grapes.
My best time of the day? Waiting until dusk and hearing the blackbirds beautiful songs as then I feel a deep sense of peace, their is nothing like it.
Jay is so right. I think that if I could only hear one sound for the rest of my life it would be the beautiful late afternoon and evening song of the Blackbird. That combination of melodic verses interspersed with cheeps and cherrups it just heavenly. I always refered to the Blackbird as ‘The Goodnight Bird’ to my children when they were small, as he is the last to sing as the sun sets, telling all other small creatures that its time to settle down for the night.
Hi we’ve got one nesting in our garden been there a week it’s at in the nest for hours on end must be eggs there the other day I was on the door step it played me a tune then wanted me to go away as it wanted to go in the nest beautiful bird don’t no much about the blackbird
Lovely article ….
Also could have mentioned that the continental male birds tend to be slightly bigger with a glossier blue black plumage and black bills not yellow as ours have .
Also I think you mean St Kevin was in ….prayer . ( indicating he was in prayer with hands held out in the tradional manner of open or contemplative prayer and this was so intense and long that it enable a blackbird time to build a nest ! )
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your amends. I’ve now updated the article to reflect your suggestions.
I would also like to add that there are a similar stories about early medieval hermits in the British Isles.One in particular also fell asleep while praying and the legend says that when he walk up he found a bird ha nested in his hands and not to disturbed the mother-to-be he didn’t move until the chicks were born. Another story speaks of a bird nestling in the hair of a saint hermits. I don’t remember the names but I could find them in my old work. Another story speaks of a hermit giving shelter to wildlife chased by hunters.
All these stories refer to a time before the 10th-11th centuries.
Lovely article, but it does not seem to have been updated correctly and St Kevin is ‘at prey’ instead of ‘at prayer’. I enjoyed it so much that I am now reading Seamus Heaney’s poem. Thank you.
Hi Jacquie,
Ah, now this should have updated (forgot to save the change!). Thanks for pointing this out.
Lovely article to read
So enjoyable to read about our beloved birds, blackbird, robin and blue tits.
I do like Blackbirds but think it is a shame that Thrushes have not faired as well. We occasionally may get a Thrush in colder weather but it is lower down in the pecking order and has to wait for the other birds to finish before it gets a look in. I think if people do not put slug pellets down there numbers would possibly go up.
These articles are amazing. If there is not such an item already, I think it would be great to market a CD or similar of all the articles. Great to get children interested in birds. Such fun with amusement that is educational. I will show them,in stages, to my great niece.
I have thoroughly enjoyed these emails
Thank you.
Mrs. B. Beard
I used to have a blackbird that would tap on my kitchen window when I was waiting for the kettle to boil. I would open the back door and it would hop into the kitchen where I fed it sultanas. If I was in my study upstairs, sometimes it would land on the ledge and tap on that window so that I went downstairs to let it into the kitchen. a friend of mine was visiting once, and filmed it on his phone as he couldn’t believe it. The blackbird did this all summer, then suddenly disappeared. I was so sad when it didn’t come anymore. I often wonder what happened to it.
As I leave for work in the mornings I often hear the blackbirds start up and it makes me smile to hear them they have such a wonderful song. I do have one in the near vacinity that visits my garden and sings to ‘me’ in Somersham, Cambs.
Mrs H Brown
I loved this article. Blackbirds are a favourite of mine and it’s always great to know a bit more about them.
Mrs M Jones Leicestershire 2 12 2016
What lovely and interesting comments about Blackbirds. We had a pair nesting quite close to us last summer. Every morning they would be sitting outside our patio doors waiting for the mealworms we gave them. These adults then brought their young to feed on the worms. It was a magical summer as they had 3 broods, we saw them all grow, then they were gone.
The male adult came for a while all scruffy while his new winter feathers grew, then he disappeared too. We always get around 12 blackbirds during the winter feeding in our garden, and all kinds of finches, we are so so lucky.
Blackbirds are my fave birds, but I have noticed I have seen fewer this year, has anyone else? I feed on the ground and in the trees, but sadly pigeons and magpies seem to get most of the ground stuff. I read about someone putting a cage on the floor and a magpie dragging a smaller bird through, I couldn’t bear that, does anyone have any other suggestions? I know bigger birds need to feed too but I don’t want blackbirds to miss out!
I have a ground feeder (in addition to other higher feeders) for the birds that don’t like the high feeders. These include blackbirds, wrens, dunnocks and any other ground feeding birds and mine is pegged into the ground so that larger birds and squirrels can’t lift it up or get to the food. It’s been a success and I put in suet pellets, mealworms and any other scraps I have. I also have a squirrel baffle underneath my feeders and it’s so funny watching the squirrels trying to climb up the pole only to slide slowly back down again – they look like they’re pole dancing! They do get the bits the birds drop as they’re eating though as do the larger birds. I just enjoy watching them all and always have a pair of binocculars to hand, always hoping to see a rarer bird which I sometimes do, My favourite garden bird is the woodpecker and they love the suet blocks or special bird peanut butter I have on my feeder.
We had an adult mail blackbird with a broken beak. He flew down to my husband who was barbequeing meat and the bird literally stared at him begging for help. We fed him suet all summer and autumn which he could painfully scrap up into his beak but don’t know if he survived the winter (we put food out). Amazing that the bird instinctively knew that a human might be able to help.
they also enjoy raisens, the blackbirds that nest in my garden pick it out the muesli i leave out for the sparows.
We have nesting black birds in our garden and one day while gardening we came across 4 snails throwing them onto the lawn, the male came down from the nest and gathered the snails together and then gave each one a sharp stab with it’s beak then flew off making a loud noise, we thought that was nasty but moments later he brought the female to the snails and presented them to her he stood guard while she dined we thought it very romantic that he entertained her at his favourite restaurant with escargot and he dressed in black tails we live in Newzealand
We have a blackbird called 2feathers our cat gato caught him by the tail and it fell out bar 2 feathers, then 2feathers started coming in the house he and gato had a scrap. I grabbed 2feathers put him out the window and discovered his tail in my hand bar 2 feathers, well his tail grew all over again and lo and behold gato got him and his tail fell out for the third time, 3 months has gone by and 2feathers is fat and black he sings on the power line and sings his heart out, he knows us all and now he has a little call he has copied from me, he hears me make the sound to my parakeet… We presently are feeding a flock of waxeyes.. Just waiting for 2feathers kids to come along in spring..
Hi just wanted you to know that every year we have two blackbirds that come and nest in our ivy it’s nice to see them each year they nest up to three or four times after the breeding season they just go and that’s the last we see of them until next year I do miss. Watching them come and go marion
We had a pair of lovely blackbirds called George and Mildred who waited every morning at our conservatory door. We laid mealworms inside the door and they came in and ate them, then looked at us as if asking for more, which they
always got. George lost an eye, but still managed ok. They had 3 broods and all their young came and got fed as well. There have now been 4 generations and they still come and get fed. We have names for them all. It is sad when they disappear never to be seen again, but, lovely to see the new ones take their place.
I live in NZ. A male blackbird that has just had 4 chicks successfully leave the nest, now has a piece of twine around one ankle and I don’t know how to catch him so I can remove the twine. It seems to be painful as he holds that foot up when he can. I am trying to stop him losing his foot if/when the circulation is cut off by the twine. Quite distressing to watch. He and his missus come around my back door for apple and grapes, and occasionally a piece of cheese. Does anyone have a plan for a simple trap I could use please ?
We have a female blackbird who has built a nest close to our French windows but no male in sight. Then a pair of blackbirds appeared in the garden and after much fighting between the 2 females they disappeared. My husband peeped into the nest and 4 eggs had appeared. Female goes back & forth to her nest but no male. Will these eggs hatch and will she be able to feed and rear them by herself?
we have exactly the same situation but we decided to take some eggs and leave just one so she has more chances of feeding it and herselfJJo
Re the blackbird with the rope around he’s foot try tempting him closer to you and have a large light weight piece of fabric in hand and throw it over him or try a fish landing net.
We leave pond sticks by the pond, the blackbird loves them, and when she has eater all those, she lands on the pond pump and plucks any sticks the fish haven’t eaten out, the baby birds come down with her to be fed by the pond too.
My 2 blackbirds were frantically flying back and forth with worms today. They dug up two small plants, which I went out to quietly rescue them in the evening. This morning there is no sign of activity, no sounds … Have I frightened them off. What happens to the young? Can parents carry them off to safety? Concerned… Sarah, in Wells.
We have found what we think is a blackbirds nest inside a pole. There is what seems to be more than one chick so I presume this ok? Are the babies able to climb out? The pole is around 12cm wide and they are approx 120cm down in the pole. I don’t want to disturb them as they are clearly thriving, but just wanted to make sure they will be ok to climb out.
Do blackbirds build their nest before or after mating?
We have Blackbirds in the garden, they have 3 chicks almost fully grown now flying around the garden following Dad waiting for food from his beak. I always feed them early morning but I got A shock this morning when I found the female dead on the patio. I examined her but could find no blood etc or evidence of being attacked. I know cats can kill for fun and not eat so it could have been a cat. Would the male and the 3 youngsters be aware that she was dead . They seem to be carrying on as normal. Could she have eggs in another nest ?
It’s now August and a lone female has been sitting on her nest for some months now with no sign of any young. There was a male around some time ago, but then they both disappeared and later she came back alone. Her feathers are rather ruffled and untidy, so I recognise her in case you are wondering how I know it’s the same bird. So, I’m curious to know why she is sat there all day, coming down for food. I haven’t been able to check the nest for eggs so don’t know if there are any. Can anyone shed any light on what might be happening here?
I get great enjoyment watching and listening to our blackbirds in our backyard. They have a great alarm call whenever a cat appears from over the back fence. Funny habits and very active. From Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia.
We have a male black bird(black with yellow beak) in our garden but it has one large white wing feather which gives it the appearance of a white stripe on its side. During the autumn early winter it was always closely accompanied by a slightly larger and fatter bird of light/dark brown colour(no yellow beak). They always fed close by each other but since Christmas the white feather bird is being attacked by the brown bird in an attempt to drive it from feeding in our garden. Is this normal territorial behaviour of young towards parent or is the brown bird a cuckoo raised in error by the black bird. The blackbird seems so submissive and never fights back.
I find that except when chicks arrive, my pet female blackbird – who is larger – is very bossy to my pet male blackbird, and chases him away from food. Blackie (the boy) has got it over her though and runs inside the house to feed from my hand. They have been in my garden 10 years now
I found a blackbird egg on the ground under my yew hedge with no nest in sight (my yew hedges are still very small) I decided to bring it inside and incubate it. It was cold when I found it and it could be dead but I’m now wondering if I should have left this on the ground. It’s now in a plastic container in some tissue on a heat mat. I’m turning it sporadically but wonder if anyone can give me some information on what to do with it.
My blackbird that I raised after finding her. Laying in the garden I had her inside the house for three weeks looking and feeding her taught her to bath she then flew away one day but comes back everyday to feed on my windowsill
Has mated and bought her babies to see me. I love her
I moved into my new home in December 2020, and already we have a daily visit from a Blackbird and a Pied Wagtail. I scatter mealworms and insect pellets onto the front lawn and it’s wonderful to sit by the window and watch them eat. Hopefully once the garden is sorted we can buy a really nice bird table.
My Black bird Rodrick aka Roddy doddy is missing, he has usually been by at least a dozen times already in a day and I havent seen him once today.. ive me hop, is he taking a turn of sitting the nest??
Sorry.. Should read give me hope..
At what age is a female blackbird ready to have her first fertile eggs?
As the average life expectancy of blackbirds is 3-4 years I presume it’s the summer after they’re born. They’ve got to get to work fast!
I have a blackbird nesting inmy wisteria tree the nest is visible the female sits in it no sign of the male is this normal
We had a almost pet blackbird for 2 years . It was around us every time we entered our beautiful garden. We fed it every day from our hand and would sit next to us on our Arm-rest, in fact it would stare some times at you for so long that it was like a kindred spirit. I believe it was and was sent to comfort me during a hard time in my life. I got better and it went away as if it had served it’s per pose. I wish I could show you all the wonderful pics I was able to take of her.
I have had a pet blackbird in my garden 10 years now. I recognise him very easily as he has a tail feather that always sits perpendicular rather than flat. It is breeding season in NZ now so Blackie is being a pain. He knows where I am in the house and sits on the windowsills asking to be fed mealworms. He wakes me up each morning by singing at the bedroom window. If I don’t feed him he flies off in a huff and a string of expletives. He is comfortable being inside, but I don’t encourage him and he understands the words “out” and “no”. He sits on my shoulder or arm. His eyesight is extraordinary and he recognises me from a long way off if I am walking home down the street. Once he followed me to the bustop and hopped on the bus.
A large tree in my side garden blew over when we had them strong winds.i was going to chop it up for logs when I noticed there was-a blackbird nest with 3 eggs in it I’ll wait till they’ve gone.before I chop up the tree
I also love love blackbirds, I would welcome any comments as to how to attract them, help feed them. I have lots of different feeders incghsxtree but u know they’re ground feeders but when I put out food on the ground tge magpies always get there first….. ?!
I have a widowed blackbird feeding her one remaining fledgling twigs and leaves. Do I presume the worst? She is readying a nest for a new clutch and will let her previous nestling starve?
We love blackbirds, we’ve had one called Tootsie as he only had one foot and Buzby whose song incorporated a trill phone ring and 3 other distinctive calls, one sounded like Laurel & Hardy. We think on of his dependents has taken on the call as it’s slightly different, 2 years Buzby’s distinctive call could be heard. It’s funny isn’t it, how fond of them you become and like others have said, you wonder where they’ve gone or what happened to them.
We love blackbirds, we’ve had one called Tootsie as he only had one foot and Buzby whose song incorporated a trill phone ring and 3 other distinctive calls, one sounded like Laurel & Hardy. We think one of his dependents has taken on the trill phone call as it’s slightly different, 2 years Buzby’s distinctive call could be heard. It’s funny isn’t it, how fond of them you become and like others have said, you wonder where they’ve gone or what happened to them.
During lockdown I had a blackbird that became so tame that one day it took food from my outstretched hand. A special moment.