Blackbird

Blackbirds are brilliant songbirds. From early spring, you may spot one up in a tree, singing his lovely melody. Blackbirds are really woodland birds, but they've learned to live among humans in gardens, parks and towns as well.

Blackbirds are fairly small, slim birds. Male and female blackbirds have different colours: males are shiny black, with a bright yellow beak and a yellow ring around their eyes. Female blackbirds are mottled brown, and they have a brownish yellow beak.

Size: 20 cm

Sound: male blackbirds sing a clear song with lots of melody. They can sound almost like they're playing a small flute. The blackbird changes his melody a little bit at a time.

Some male blackbirds have white feathers or spots in their plumage. This is called leucism. It's not a disease, and it doesn't hurt the blackbird. It does make him look very swish!

Jonn Leffmann, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Matthias Barby, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons