Species guide
Eurasian Blackbird: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Luiz Lapa · CC BY · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Turdus merula
- Family
- Thrushes
- Size
- About 23–29 cm
- Habitat
- Gardens, parks and woodland
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania
The key marks
The male is all black with a bright orange-yellow bill and eye ring. The female is dark brown with a paler, streaky throat.
Voice
A rich, fluty, unhurried song and a loud, scolding “chink-chink” alarm.
Good to know
It sings from rooftops and aerials at dawn and dusk, and its song is one of the most familiar in Europe.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in gardens, parks and woodland. It is especially common in Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom and Kyrgyzstan. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.