The Wildlife of
Cragside

 
Home
A-Z Index
Statistics

Thrushes and Chats - The Blackbird

First seen on Monday 9th December 2019 at Cragside

A very familiar site in most gardens, these birds often rummage under the feeders. Blackbirds can be found all over the estate, usually flying low under the trees and shrubs, and rummaging in the leaves and undergrowth. They are ground feeders, often catching worms on the lawns. The one below is the male.

Male and female differ in colour. The male is black and has the bright yellow beak and ring around his eyes. The female, is more of a 'brown bird' rather than a blackbird. She can vary from deep brown to a more pale shade like this one, sometimes almost a bit spotted. In the winter, blackbirds love feeding on berries, as in the second two photos, taken near the Iron Bridge