The common blackbird (Turdus merula), also known as the Eurasian blackbird, stands out as a familiar songbird across Europe, Asia, North Africa, and even in introduced populations in Australia and New Zealand. The adult male of the nominate subspecies (Turdus merula merula) is easily recognisable by its glossy black plumage, yellow eye-ring, and orange-yellow bill. The adult female and juvenile have mainly dark brown plumage. This species' adaptability is evident in its wide-ranging diet, which shifts with the seasons and available resources. From juicy earthworms in summer to vibrant berries in winter, the blackbird's adaptive diet helps explain why this songbird thrives in environments from ancient woodlands to modern city parks.
General Dietary Habits
The common blackbird is an omnivorous species, consuming a wide range of insects, earthworms, seeds, and berries. Its diet varies significantly throughout the year, adapting to the seasonal availability of different food sources. Animal prey predominates, and is particularly important during the breeding season, with windfall apples and berries taken more in the autumn and winter.
Seasonal Variations in Diet
Blackbird feeding habits follow a clear seasonal pattern:
- Spring: As soil temperatures rise, earthworms become more active near the surface. Blackbirds capitalise on this abundance, spending hours probing lawns and soil. They also consume many insects feeding on fresh spring growth.
- Summer: Invertebrates remain the primary food source, with parents particularly focused on gathering protein-rich items for hungry nestlings. Adult blackbirds have been observed selectively choosing larger insects and worms when feeding young, even when their own diet includes berries.
- Autumn: As invertebrates become less available, blackbirds turn their attention to the fruit bounty. They systematically strip berries from rowan trees, hawthorn bushes, and other fruiting plants. During this season, blackbirds sometimes cache (store) food items for later retrieval when conditions worsen.
- Winter: The coldest months present the greatest challenge. Blackbirds become highly opportunistic, taking advantage of fallen apples, persistent berries like holly and ivy, and bird feeders in gardens.
Hunting and Foraging Techniques
The common blackbird feeds mainly on the ground, running and hopping with a start-stop-start progress. When hunting on lawns or in leaf litter, they exhibit a distinctive run-stop-run pattern. During the "stop" phase, they often tilt their head to one side, directing an eye downward toward the soil. This behaviour isn't just for show - blackbirds are actually listening for the subtle movements of worms or insects beneath the surface.
Once prey is detected, blackbirds use their sharp bills to probe precisely into the soil, extracting worms with remarkable accuracy. They can frequently be observed tugging persistently at a partially exposed worm, engaging in a brief tug-of-war before the earthworm relents. Another common feeding behaviour involves systematically turning over fallen leaves with their bills and checking underneath for hidden invertebrates. They pull earthworms from the soil, usually finding them by sight, but sometimes by hearing, and roots through leaf litter for other invertebrates. This species will also perch in bushes to take berries and collect caterpillars and other active insects.
Read also: The Diet of the Common Warthog
Daily Feeding Patterns
Blackbirds follow distinct feeding patterns throughout the day:
- Dawn feeding: Blackbirds are among the earliest birds to begin foraging, often starting at first light. This early morning period is particularly productive for worm hunting, as earthworms are typically more active near the soil surface during dawn hours.
- Mid-morning activity: After the initial dawn feeding burst, blackbirds continue foraging through mid-morning, gradually becoming less active as temperatures rise.
- Afternoon lull: During mid-day, especially on hot summer days, blackbirds often reduce their feeding activity, sometimes seeking shade and conserving energy.
- Evening resurgence: A second major feeding period occurs in the late afternoon and evening hours before sunset. This allows blackbirds to build up energy reserves to sustain them through the night.
- Dusk finale: Just before darkness falls, blackbirds often engage in a final intensive feeding session, particularly focused on high-energy foods.
Weather conditions can significantly alter these patterns.
Blackbirds in the Garden
Garden owners often develop a special relationship with their local blackbirds, which quickly learn where food is available. These intelligent birds frequently follow gardeners who are digging or moving mulch, darting in surprisingly close to snatch exposed worms and insects.
To attract and support blackbirds in your garden, consider offering:
- Mealworms (dried or live) scattered on the ground or a feeding tray
- Fallen fruit left in place rather than cleared away
- Halved apples placed on the ground
- Berry-producing shrubs like rowan, hawthorn, and holly
- A consistent water source, especially during dry periods
Blackbirds prefer feeding on the ground or from low platforms rather than hanging feeders.
Read also: Omnivorous Starling
Feeding Behaviors to Watch For
When observing blackbirds feeding, look for these distinctive behaviours:
- Head-tilting: The sudden freeze and head-tilt indicate a blackbird is listening for underground movement.
Benefits to Gardeners
Blackbirds provide valuable services to gardeners by consuming many pest species. Their diet includes slugs, snails, leatherjackets (crane fly larvae that damage lawns), and various caterpillars that might otherwise damage garden plants. This natural pest control comes with the added bonus of beautiful dawn and dusk songs.
Common Misconceptions
Many people assume blackbirds primarily eat worms, but their diet is far more diverse. Depending on the season, fruits and berries can actually comprise the majority of what they consume. Another misconception is that blackbirds damage fruit crops.
Adapting to Urban Environments
Eurasian Blackbirds evolved as forest birds but are now equally at home in cities and other residential areas. They breed and winter in deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, as well as city parks, suburban gardens, orchards, and farmlands. In urban environments, blackbirds have adapted to take advantage of human-provided food sources, such as bird feeders and discarded food scraps. However, it's important to avoid offering bread, pizza crusts, or other similar foods, as these are more palatable to starlings and offer little nutritional value to blackbirds.
Discouraging Unwanted Birds at Feeders
In areas where starlings or grackles are abundant, steps can be taken to discourage them from dominating bird feeders, allowing blackbirds and other desirable species to access the food.
Read also: Feeding Your Degu
- Physical Barriers: Caged feeders with openings too small for larger birds can effectively exclude starlings and grackles while still allowing smaller birds to feed.
- Feeder Design: Upside-down suet feeders, where birds must hang upside down to feed, can be challenging for starlings.
- Food Selection: Offering pure suet without added nuts or fruit can be less appealing to starlings. Safflower seeds, with their hard shells, are also less attractive to starlings, although grackles may still consume them.
The Blackbird Family: A Note on Terminology
It's important to note a distinction between the common blackbird (Turdus merula) and the blackbird family Icteridae, which is found only in the Americas. Birds in the Icteridae family include species like the red-winged blackbird, grackles, and cowbirds. While these birds share a similar name, they are not closely related. The European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), often found in mixed flocks with American blackbirds, is also unrelated to the Icteridae family.