Turdus merula (Blackbird) has a relatively large body, the length of which is twenty-four to twenty-six centimeters. It lives in forests (deciduous and mixed), parks, gardens. The male blackbird is completely black, has an orange beak and rings around the eyes. A female and young individuals of a brown color with a dark tail, light belly and throat.
The thrush bird feeds on invertebrates, as well as juicy fruits, including berries.
Most often, nests can be found in mixed and coniferous forests with moist soil and good undergrowth, in forest ravines, overgrown parks and gardens. The blackbird can nest both high above the ground (up to eight meters) on pines, spruces, birches, other trees, and quite low: on small Christmas trees or even stumps. Sometimes its nests are found on the ground, between the roots of old and large trees. For the construction, Blackbird uses dry grassy stems, lichens, leaves, mosses and thin twigs that are held together by clay mixed with plant debris and earth. The nest is a cup-shaped formation. Its diameter is from one hundred thirty to two hundred millimeters, its height is from seventy to ninety millimeters. The tray has a diameter of from seventy to one hundred, and a depth of from forty to sixty millimeters. The nest of soft roots and stems is always laid in the nest. There are eggs on it.
In the clutch there can be from four to seven eggs of a pale bluish-green hue with brown or rusty-purple strokes and spots, sometimes condensing to a blunt end.
The male is involved not only in the construction of the nest, but also in incubation. By the time the chicks appear, they practically stop singing.
As a rule, Blackbird begins to lay eggs in May, in the second half. By the end of the same month, incubation begins. Chicks appear by mid-June. In rare cases, Blackbirds can make a second clutch. From the second conclusion, the chicks fly in July or early August.
These birds are common throughout the European territory of Russia. Nests are found in the Caucasus, in the Kaliningrad region. Often after nesting, he remains to winter there. The northern border of its distribution approximately extends to the Urals along the Lower Kama and Middle Volga from the Gulf of Finland. In a large number of birds found in Ukraine, in the forest regions of Kazakhstan, in the Crimea. They are quite common in Asia Minor.
It should be noted that these birds are not easy to see in the forest. Blackbirds are cautious enough, observers are not allowed near. At the same time, they are quite loud and give out their location with various callsigns.
On the ground, the bird stands, bending slightly, spreading its legs and raising its loose tail. In search of prey, she jumps among grass or moss, bowing impulsively and pulling her tail from time to time. It should be noted that tail twitching is a characteristic feature of all thrushes.
Birds feed mainly in the early morning and evening. At this time, they find more in the grass and on the ground of worms, snails and nocturnal insects. They can sometimes rummage around in anthills and pull out pupae - "ant eggs" from there. Like other representatives of the species, Blackbirds in the late summer and early autumn begin to eat berries - hawthorn, elderberry, privet, rowan and others. In orchards, they eat cherries, grapes. However, the harm that they can do will be much less than the benefits that remain of their summer activities.
The shedding of the older generation begins in July. Young individuals in a motley (nesting) feather occur until September. Blackbirds, unlike variegated blackbirds, are less “public,” neither in the fall nor during the departure they form groups or large flocks.