The garden birds of Barlestone - Blackbird
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Barlestone is a village in the west of Leicestershire, England, and is about as close to the centre of England as you can get. We have lived here for nearly 20 years in a small house with a fairly small garden that is mainly laid to lawn. The garden is visited by a variety of birds throughout the year, encouraged by our regular efforts at feeding them. Our neighbours have the same idea, so the birds know that there is usually something here when they call! The thick hedge between our gardens is used as a nesting site.
There has been some concern in recent years that garden birds are in decline in the UK, and people are encouraged to keep the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) informed about how bird numbers are increasing or declining in various parts of the country.
On a short visit to America a few years ago I became aware that the birds that were familiar to me were not familiar to Americans, and that there were birds over there that Americans regarded as common but were quite new to me. This series of hubs on the birds that I can see from my window as I write is therefore intended to point to the birds that I know best. It would be great if people in other countries did something similar!
The blackbird (turdus merula) is one of the commonest garden birds in Britain, being found throughout the whole country. There are very few gardens in town or country that do not have at least one resident or visiting pair. Blackbirds can be seen throughout the year, even in the depths of winter.
The male adult is glossy black with a bright yellow bill. In summer, the wings are browner. The female is dark brown on the wings and upper body, and somewhat lighter below, and its bill is a duller yellow colour than the male's.
Males and females are similar in size, about 24-27 cm in length (about 10 inches). The "speaking" voice is either a scolding "chik-chik-chik" or a deeper "chook-chook-chook", but it also has a beautiful singing voice, a clear fluty warble that ends in a low chuckle. You always know when there is a cat in the garden that is getting too close to a nest, because the blackbird can produce an hysterical screech that drowns out just about everything else!
Blackbirds nest in trees and hedges, and also in sheds and holes in walls. They breed from March to August, and can produce up to five broods in a season, laying 3-5 eggs each time.
If you feed your birds regularly, the blackbirds can become quite tame. Our resident pair, especially the male, regularly hops up close to the house, even though our cat could pop out at any time. The blackbird is usually the last to fly off when a cat turns up to cross the garden.
Blackbirds only feed from the ground or bird tables, as they are nobody's acrobats. We usually hang "fat balls" from hooks on posts in the garden, which the local jackdaws have learned how to tackle. However, jackdaws are messy feeders, and plenty of food usually falls to the ground, where the blackbirds are happy to pick up the pieces. They are also the birds most likely to attack windfall apples.
Although blackbirds are usually seen as pairs, mixed groups can sometimes be seen in the garden outside the breeding season, possibly consisting of adult families. Other birds do not feel threatened by blackbirds, and they are happy to feed alongside most other species, although they are often intimidated by the jackdaws!
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Nice hub. I love to listen to birds chirping early morning. It really is a beautiful sound to wake upto. Thumbs up for nice info.
Sufidreamer Level 1 Commenter 3 years ago
Great Hub, Indexer.
One of the most under-rated birds - beautiful, and I miss their melodious and cheerful song. We do have blackbirds in Greece, but they are rare up in the mountains. :(