Common blackbird

    Turdus merula

Castilian: Mirlo común

Catalan: Merla

Gallego: Merlo

Euskera: Zozo arrunta

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Turdidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

It is quite abundant and is not threatened, although in some areas it is subject to the pressure of hunting because it is considered a prized species.

Length / size: 24-25 cm / 34-39 cm

Identification: Medium-sized bird that is dark in colour and uniform. The male's plumage is black and his bill and eye-ring are orange; the female is brown and her bill is yellowish. It flies straight, normally at a low altitude, between thickets.

Song: It is noisy, and begins singing very early. Its song is fluty and melodic, consisting of a series of short and varied verses, with a high-pitched ending. For an alarm call, it makes a high-pitched and fast "plee-plee-plee".

Diet: It primarily feeds on insects and earthworms, which is complements with different fruits in autumn and winter.

Reproduction: The breeding period begins in March. The nest is built by the female with help from the male, has a cup shape, and is made of grass and leaves, and covered with moss and mud; the nest is placed in the branches of bushes or small trees and, sometimes, also in walls or holes in chasms. The female is responsible for incubation but both parents care for the chicks.

HABITAT

It occupies all kinds of environments, from forest areas, mosaic farmland, scrublands and wetlands to parks and gardens in urban centres.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It is widely distributed throughout the entire peninsula, the Canary and Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout the entire community, with larger concentrations in León, Zamora, Salamanca and Segovia.

Movements and migrations: The Iberian populations are sedentary. Migrant and wintering species reach the peninsula and Balearic Islands from central and northern Europe. The prenuptial passage takes place between February and March, and the postnuptial between September and November.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of more than a million breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: