British Population Size:
Summer:
4.6 million territories
in 2000
 
First Record:
Recorded in Anglo-Saxon times
Conservation Status:
GREEN
Previous Assessments:
2002-2007
GREEN
1996-2001
AMBER
Races of Concern:
merula GREEN
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
Most frequent in:
Villages, Towns
Also common in:
Scrub, Arable Farmland, Pasture Farmland, Deciduous Wood
And found in:
Coniferous Wood
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
Migration routes:
Map of foreign ringing recoveries
and summary map from Time to Fly (in pop-up windows)
European Population Size:
Summer:
38 to 79 million pairs
(Trend in Numbers )
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WCA(III), WBD(II*), Bern(III), Bonn(II)
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
29 x 21 mm
Egg Weight:
7.2 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
1544
Clutch Size:
3 - 4 eggs
3.86 ± 0.75 (2 - 7) N = 3254
Incubation:
13- 14 days
12.97 ± 1.34 (10.5 - 15.5) N = 3254
by the:
Female
Fledging:
14 - 16days
14.64 ± 1.54 (12 - 17) N = 3892
as:
Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid:
22 Apr (22 Mar - 14 Jun)
Number of Broods:
2-3(5)
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
Annual Totals
Adult Survival:
0.650
± 0.003
(M:0.670
± 0.006;
F:0.655
± 0.007)
Juvenile Survival:
0.564 (in First-Year)
Age at First Breeding:
1
year
Typical Lifespan:
3
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
14 years 2 months 1 days (set in 1951)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries
Biometrics
Ring Size:
C
Wing Length
Adult:
130.9 ± 4.4
Range
110.0 - 151.0 mm, (N = 81803)
Juvenile:
128.8 ± 3.9
Range
109.0 - 150.0 mm, (N = 125929)
Male:
132.9 ± 3.9
Range
110.0 - 151.0 mm, (N = 42493)
Female:
128.6 ± 3.8
Range
110.0 - 149.0 mm, (N = 39130)
Weight
Adult:
101.8 ± 12.09
Range
59.60 - 141.2 g , (N =65475)
Juvenile:
94.9 ± 8.0
Range
57.6 - 140.0 . , (N =107154)
Male:
102.5 ± 12.56
Range
62.00 - 141.2 g , (N =33791)
Female:
101.0 ± 11.54
Range
59.60 - 141.2 g , (N =31528)
Seasonal:
Summer 95.14 ± 6.67 (N = 31196)  
Autumn 97.64 ± 7.91 (N = 29136)
Winter 106.9 ± 10.96 (N = 82428)  
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Common Blackbird
Gaelic:
Lòn-dubh
Welsh:
Mwyalchen
Danish:
Solsort
Dutch:
Merel
Finnish:
Mustarastas
French:
Merle noir
German:
Amsel
Hungarian:
Feketerigó
Icelandic:
Svartþröstur
Irish:
Lon Dubh
Italian:
Merlo
Norwegian:
Svarttrost
Polish:
Kos
Portuguese:
Merlo-preto
Spanish:
Mirlo común
Swedish:
Koltrast
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Snow, D.W. 1958 A study of blackbirds George Allen Unwin Ltd, London
[598.911 SNO]
Snow, D.W. 1987 The Blackbird Shire Publications, Princes Risborough
[Jour: S]
Hillstead, A.F.C. 1945 The Blackbird Faber & Faber, London
[598.911 HIL]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar
or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead