Quick Facts

Number in Britain	Length	Wingspan	Weight
9 million	24 cm	36 cm	100g

 

Egg Size	Egg Weight	Clutch Size	Incubation	Fledgling
29 x 21 mm	7.2 g	3 - 4 eggs	13 - 14 days	14 - 16 days

 

Number of Broods	Age at First Breeding	Typical Lifespan	Maximum Recorded Age
2 - 3	1 year	3 years	14 years 2 months

 

• Habitat ~ Woodland, scrub, towns 
• Diet ~  Mainly insects and earthworms, also fruit, mostly from ground
• First Clutches Laid in late April 
• The Blackbird has been declining since 1970’s, but started to recover in the 80’s.
• The decline may have been through intensive farming.
• They feed on earth worms, berries, fruit and a large variety of insects.
• Blackbirds hop across the lawn stopping at intervals listening, and looking for worms, they grab the worm, pulling it out of the ground with great effort.
• They enjoy scattering leaves searching for grubs.
• The nest is made mainly by the female, although the male may help by collecting the materials which include stems, twigs, mud and grass.
• Blackbirds tend to be solitary birds.
• Male birds determine their territory in their first year, which they will protect throughout their lives.
• Nesting season starts two weeks earlier in gardens than in woodlands.
• Blackbirds only live until they are 3 – 4 years old