Blackbird has spoken
There is little doubt that the ability of the blackbird to exploit a wide variety of food sources and then suddenly switch back from one to another is the main contributory factor enabling them to maintain a dense population in a richly diverse area. Among European blackbirds their closest relative is the ring ouzel, one that breeds in mountainous regions. The song and the calls, however, are similar but an obvious difference with the ring ouzel is its white collar, its ‘gorget’. The blackbird communicates several things vocally; a repetitive jarring sound with a few notes can help pass on news and information locally, like food or danger. The sounds of ‘chink, chink. chink’ also ‘mik, mik, mik’ is associated with mobbing. To roost at dusk and also rising at dawn their alarm call is ‘chook, chook’.
Breeding time. – Blackbirds living in our towns and cities are stimulated to breed earlier than our woodland birds, the reason being that our towns are illuminated throughout the night and are noisier than the countryside. The increased light, warmth and wakefulness all contribute to the maturing of the birds, thus stimulating them to breed early. These urban birds will feed their nestlings on worms and are therefore usually a dull pink colour whereas woodland nestlings are yellow in colour due to the pigments derived from the green caterpillars they are reared on.
The cock’s plumage is a deep sooty black unlike the metallic lustre in the plumage of the crow which has a satin gloss. The female of the species is brown with a pale throat and spotted chest.
Blackbirds quickly react to the sound of the thrush hammering a snail on a stone close by, and with mutinous determination will steal their hard-earned prize, devouring the tasty morsel inside for they themselves are unable to crack open the hard shell of the snail. The familiar cocking of the blackbird’s head to one side is to either fix a creature with its eye or determine it’s location with its ear whilst moving under the surface of the soil or the leaf litter.
When rearing its young, the woodland blackbirds know that the Mayfly is about to hatch from the stream where it has lived out its life as a nymph. They will watch and wait along the bank. As the nymph emerges as a fly it will use its discarded suit of clothes as a raft to carry it down stream. As the sun dries its wings it then takes to the air. However, as the fly sails close by to the bank, the blackbird snaps and the May fly sails no more.
It has been known for the cock bird to sit the eggs if the hen bird has sadly been lost, however, the male does not possess the incubation patch that the female has and therefore despite all his efforts is not very successful. This patch of bare skin which is richly supplied with blood vessels and one which enables the female to apply her warm body heat directly to the eggs, is only exposed when she plucks her feathers to line her newly made nest. The usual clutch of eggs is three to five in our urban birds but tend to be more in our woodland bird’s nests, incubation time being thirteen to fourteen days in both cases.
Diet – Their diet is one of various fruits, worms and insects, but in the winter months it is predominantly haws from the hedgerows. Both northern and central European blackbirds are partial migrants; however, more females seem to migrate than males regardless of where they are born.
A special delicacy for blackbirds is raisins soaked in warm water. When they become plump and juicy transfer them to your bird table and watch them devour these sweet treats. After a while place some in a shallow dish near to your doorway, they cannot resist this special treat and can become rather tame enabling you to observe them at close quarters. These wonderful birds will bring you so much enjoyment, whilst helping them to survive the worst of the winter and thus brightening your day.
