Blackbird

Turdus merula

Size:	10 inches (25 cm)
Habitat:	Farmland, heathland, woodland and urban areas
Feeding:	Insects, worms, fruit and seeds
Eggs:	3 -5 pale blue/green with brown spots laid late March - July, incubation about 13 days

Blackbird (Male)

The blackbird is a member of the thrush family.

The adult male is very easy to recognise - glossy black with an orange beak and rings around the eyes. The female is dark brown, sometimes slightly mottled, with a brown beak.

Juveniles are usually a more reddish brown and slightly mottled.

Since we stopped the use of slug pellets in the garden, the blackbird population has thrived.