Blackbird
Turdus merula
One of our commonest and most widespread birds, the blackbird is also the source of one of our best-loved songs.
Song notes
Blackbirds like to sing from a high vantage point, such as a rooftop or the crown of a tree.
The tone is often perceived as relaxed and mellow, particularly in contrast to its shoutier, more repetitive cousin, the Song Thrush.
The sound can be particularly noticeable and welcome in urban streets, echoing between buildings at dawn and just before dusk in the spring.
W.H. Hudson described the sound as ‘nearer to human music than any other bird song.’
The alarm calls of the blackbird come in some contrast to the song.
One is an explosive, clattering series of shrieks, given as it flies away from danger.
Another is a series of urgent ‘chuks’, typically made while the bird is perched and agitated by a nearby person, cat or or other potential predator. These often rise to a higher-pitched ‘chink’.
In winter multiple ‘chuk’ and ‘chink’ calls can often be heard just before dark, as each blackbird proclaims their own roosting spot for the night.
You might also hear a high-pitched ‘tsee’ call, which is given when there is a bird of prey overhead.