The Common Blackbird is one of the most-studied birds in Europe. Males defending territory will sing more than 6 hours a day in spring.
Females build their nests entirely on their own; males don't help with construction.
Despite the name, females are a brown, not black, and pale-fronted. Many casual observers think male and female are different species.
Blackbirds are common garden birds across Europe, easy to attract with the right shrubs and a moist lawn.
Mealworms, suet pellets, and cut fruit (apple, pear) on tray feeders or scattered on the ground.
Dense shrubs and hedges 1.5–3 m tall for nesting. They build a mud-and-grass cup nest deep in cover.
Bird bath, especially during dry summers; regular bathers.
An open-front shelf 2–4 m up tucked into a hedge or against a covered wall can host a pair.
Don't disturb shrubs during nesting season (March–July); the female may abandon if disturbed early.
A common European thrush relative, found in nearly every garden across Europe and introduced to Australia and New Zealand.
Year-round resident throughout, from Iberia and Britain east through Russia to the Urals.
Resident across the Mediterranean coast and into the Levant.
Now an established invasive in southern Australia and across New Zealand.
Hedgerows, parks, mature gardens, and woodland edges. They thrive in human-modified landscapes.
No entrance hole, no front wall, just a sheltered ledge. Includes drainage and the integrated mounting tab.
Shop the lineupYear-round resident across most of range. One of the earliest UK songbirds to begin breeding, eggs laid in early March in mild winters.