THE ANIMAL FILES

Common blackbird

Turdus merula

A black male does not make every blackbird black.

Common blackbird plumage differs with age and sex: mature males are glossy black, while females and young birds are browner. They search the ground for worms and other invertebrates, then also take berries from bushes.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Common blackbird
Image: Kahvilokki · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Adult male
Glossy black with a yellow-orange bill[1]
Adult female
Mostly brown rather than glossy black[1]
Food
Earthworms, other invertebrates and fruit[1]

Age and sex change the colour story

Adult males have black plumage and a conspicuous eye-ring, while females are browner. Young birds can show pale spots and a speckled breast; young males may still have a darker bill than mature males.[1]

The ground is a working surface

Blackbirds run and hop in a stop-start pattern while looking for food on the ground. They pull earthworms from soil and investigate leaf litter for invertebrates, but also perch to take berries.[1]

Song and alarm are different signals

Males sing from elevated places such as trees and rooftops, and the species also uses several alarm and contact-like calls. The familiar flowing song is not its only voice.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Must a common blackbird be entirely black?

No. The familiar glossy black appearance describes the mature male. Females and young birds can be brown or spotted, so colour differences do not automatically indicate different species when sex and age have not been considered.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why watch a bird’s movements before deciding what it is eating?

Reveal the explanation

A ground-searching bird may be taking worms or litter invertebrates, while the same animal on a bush may be collecting berries. Movement and location provide feeding context that plumage colour alone cannot supply.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Common blackbird (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Turdus merula (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

Great titSmall feet can become a food-holding tool.Parus major ↗Common starlingA moving cloud of starlings is built from neighbours reacting to neighbours.Sturnus vulgaris ↗Blue jayBlue feathers can be blue without blue pigment.Cyanocitta cristata ↗