Common blackbird

Scientific name: Turdus merula

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are entirely glossy black with bright yellow-orange orbital rings and bill; females are dark brown with mottled underparts and duller facial markings. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced and aids field identification.

Size and weight

Males 24–29 cm, weighing 75–107 g; females 23–26 cm, weighing 70–100 g.

Habitat

Common blackbirds favour mixed woodland, scrub, hedgerows, and gardens with dense undergrowth and leaf litter. They occupy lowland to mid-altitude areas and adapt well to human-modified landscapes with sufficient cover.

Distribution

Widespread across Europe from British Isles to western Russia and North Africa; favours temperate and Mediterranean zones. Populations in northern range are migratory; southern populations largely resident.

Diet

Primarily ground-foraging omnivore: earthworms, insects (beetles, caterpillars), and invertebrates in breeding season; supplemented with fruits and berries, especially bilberries, rowan, and hawthorn in autumn and winter.

Behaviour

Diurnal and crepuscular; solitary or in loose pairs outside breeding season. Highly vocal with diagnostic loud song and alarm calls; forages by vigorous leaf-scratching and hopping on ground; relatively sedentary in established territories.

Hunting tips

Look for fresh scratchings in leaf litter and soft ground—characteristic sign of recent foraging activity. Approach quietly along hedgerows and dense cover during dawn and dusk when birds are most active. Move slowly and pause frequently to locate birds by ear; they flush readily but often drop back into nearby cover rather than flying far.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 7 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.