13-6-2015 GANDIA, VALENCIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The Blackbird is one of our most common and familiar birds. It is particularly numerous in gardens, but can be found almost everywhere in Britain & Ireland, apart from the highest ground.

This species forages on the ground, and is most often seen turning over leaf litter, probing the soil for food, or visiting flat feeders like bird tables. Adult male birds are black with a contrasting yellow bill and eyering, whilst females are browner and streakier. The Blackbird's fluting, melodic song, often performed from a high perch, is a particular feature of summer evenings.

Breeding numbers have increased in the UK since the mid-1990s, following a decline during the 1970s and 1980s. The UK also hosts many additional birds from northern Europe in the winter.