Blackbirds

Spotting a blackbird

The Blackbird is one of the most common UK birds. Males are black with an orange-yellow beak and eye area. Females are brown with spots and other patterns on their breasts.

Lifespan

The life expectancy of a blackbird is around three years, but they have been known to live into double figures.

Behaviour

Blackbirds live in woodland, grassland and gardens where you can easily spot them. They tend to live in the same area in which they were hatched.

They’ll nest close to the ground under the cover of a bush or tree and build a neat, round nest.

In March they begin breeding and by late July will have raised up to three families (or ‘broods’)! The female will lay up to five eggs which take two weeks to hatch. The babies will eat earthworms or caterpillars and leave the nest at around two weeks old.

Food

Blackbirds eat insects, earthworms, fruit and berries. They find earthworms by listening for movement just beneath the ground’s surface. You may spot them in your garden, flipping fallen leaves as they search for food beneath.

Did you know…

The nursery rhyme ‘Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye, four-and-twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie‘ is thought to have been a coded message used by the 18th century pirate Blackbeard to find crew members!