Eurasian Blackbird

Turdus merula (Linnaeus, 1758)

		1st-winter male
2018-09-23 Yalutorovsk	© Dmitry Porshnev

Description

The Blackbird is long-tailed bird in size similar on Fieldfare. The adult male has the almost plain black plumage, blackish-brown legs, orange-yellow bill and yellow eye-ring. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown, lighter on underparts especially on the throat and breast; with some weak mottling on the breast. The color of the bill and eye-ring is variable from yellow to brownish. The seasonal differences of plumage are insignificant. The juvenile is dark (including underwings) and similar to the female, but has rusty tinge and pale longitudinal streaks on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has the speckled breast. The first year male resembles the adult male, but has the dark bill, the brown wings and weaker eye ring. Weight 80-150 grams, length 23-29, wing 11,6-14,0, wingspan 39-45 cm.

References