Common blackbird
Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758
The common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a bird in the family Turdidae and the order Passeriformes, part of the songbirds and other perching birds. It is a small bird with an adult body mass of 102.7 g and a wingspan of 36 cm.
Quick facts about the common blackbird
The common blackbird is an omnivore and a generalist forager of forest habitat, and it is sedentary.
- Weight
- 97.5 g – 102.7 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Wingspan
- 36 cmsrc for Wingspan
- Lifespan
- 21.1 years – 21.8 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Diet
- Omnivoresrc for Diet
- Main food
- fruitssrc for Main food
- Habitat
- forestsrc for Habitat
- Egg incubation
- 13.5 dayssrc for Egg incubation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 4src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 12 monthssrc for Age at maturity
- Litters or clutches a year
- 4src for Litters or clutches a year
- Lifestyle
- Generalistsrc for Lifestyle
- Migration
- Sedentarysrc for Migration
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the common blackbird?
Photos of the common blackbird
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the common blackbird live?
Not recorded
What is the common blackbird?
The common blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. It is also known as the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the distinct New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird. It breeds in Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It has a number of subspecies across its large range; a few former Asian subspecies are now widely treated as separate species. Depending on latitude, the common blackbird may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory.
The adult male of the common blackbird (Turdus merula merula, the nominate subspecies), which is found throughout most of Europe, is all black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill and has a rich, melodious song. The adult female and juvenile have mainly dark brown plumage. This species breeds in woods and gardens, constructing neat, cup-shaped nests bound together with mud. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits.
Both sexes are territorial on the breeding grounds and have distinctive threat displays. However, they are more gregarious during migration and in wintering areas. Pairs remain in their territory throughout the year if the climate is sufficiently temperate. This common and conspicuous species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, often related to its song.
From the Wikipedia article “Common blackbird” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_blackbird&oldid=1384642072), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
What does the common blackbird sound like?
Is the common blackbird endangered?
The common blackbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the common blackbird classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyTurdidae
- genusTurdus
- SpeciesTurdus merula Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms Merula alticeps, Merula carniolica, Merula major, Merula merula, Merula pinetorum, Merula truncorum, Sylvia merula, Turdus wulsini
Other names and names in other languages (160)
- BlackbirdEnglish
- BlackbirdEnglish
- BlkEnglish
- Colley birdEnglish
- Colly birdEnglish
- Eurasian blackbirdEnglish
- Eurasian blackbirdEnglish
- European blackbirdEnglish
- AmsleAlbanian
- شحرورArabic
- شحرور أوراسيArabic
- شحرور أوربيArabic
- شحرور شائعArabic
- Merla comúnAragonese
- NerbatuAsturian
- ñerbatuAsturian
- Qara qaratoyuqAzerbaijani
- Ҡара барҡылдаҡBashkir
- Дрозд чорныBelarusian
- Чорны дроздBelarusian
- КосBulgarian
- Черен дроздBulgarian
- পাতি কালিদামাBangla
- Moualc'h zuBreton
- merlaCatalan
- merla comunaCatalan
- MèrleraCatalan
- Járźa h́ozaChechen
- Шим лагыMari
- Хура кайӑкChuvash
- ڕەشیشەCentral Kurdish
- MerulaCorsican
- kos černýCzech
- drozd černýCzech
- kos obecnýCzech
- KòsKashubian
- MerwysWelsh
- Aderyn DuWelsh
- Aderyn Du Pig FelenWelsh
- Atar DionWelsh
- Deryn DuWelsh
- GialchenWelsh
- GwnalchenWelsh
- GwyalchenWelsh
- MalchodenWelsh
- MialchenWelsh
- MwyalchWelsh
- mwyalchenWelsh
- MwyalchodWelsh
- PigfelenWelsh
- SolsortDanish
- AmselGerman
- SchwarzdrosselGerman
- KósLower Sorbian
- ΚότσυφαςGreek
- Κοινός ΚότσυφαςGreek
- (Κοινός) ΚότσυφαςGreek
- nigra turdoEsperanto
- Mirlo comúnSpanish
- MirloSpanish
- musträstasEstonian
- ZozoBasque
- MielraExtremaduran
- توکای سیاهPersian
- mustarastasFinnish
- KvørkveggjaFaroese
- Merle noirFrench
- KramperNorthern Frisian
- MierliFriulian
- KlysterWestern Frisian
- Lon dobhIrish
- CéirseachIrish
- Lon dubhIrish
- eun dubhScottish Gaelic
- druid dhubhScottish Gaelic
- druidean dubhaScottish Gaelic
- eòin dùbhaScottish Gaelic
- loin-dubhaScottish Gaelic
- lon-dubhScottish Gaelic
- Merlo comúnGalician
- LhondooManx
- કસ્તુરીGujarati
- שחרורHebrew
- kosCroatian
- Crni kosCroatian
- fekete rigóHungarian
- ՃարեկArmenian
- ՄոշահավArmenian
- Սև կեռնեխArmenian
- Burung sikatan hitamIndonesian
- SvartþrösturIcelandic
- SvartßrösturIcelandic
- MerloItalian
- Merlo comuneItalian
- クロウタドリJapanese
- ニシクロウタドリJapanese
- შავი შაშვიGeorgian
- БзуупцӀэKabardian
- Қара сайрақKazakh
- 대륙검은지빠귀Korean
- 유라시아대륙검은지빠귀Korean
- Boqijeya reşKurdish
- Molgh dhuCornish
- MärelLuxembourgish
- juodasis strazdasLithuanian
- Malnais mežastrodsLatgalian
- melnais meža strazdsLatvian
- шемлогоMari
- Manu PangoMāori
- ќосMacedonian
- Обичен косMacedonian
- കരിംകിളിMalayalam
- Malvizz iswedMaltese
- MielroMirandese
- SwartdrusselLow German
- SwattdrosselLow German
- merelDutch
- Zwarte lijsterDutch
- svarttrastNorwegian Nynorsk
- svarttrostNorwegian
- Mêlenrm
- Mèrle negreOccitan
- ErmèlePicard
- Kos zwyczajnyPolish
- kos (zwyczajny)Polish
- melro-pretoPortuguese
- MelroPortuguese
- Melro negroPortuguese
- Kastilla suksuQuechua
- MerlotschaRomansh
- MierlaRomanian
- MierlăRomanian
- Чёрный дроздRussian
- черный дроздRussian
- MerluSicilian
- MerlScots
- ČáhppesrásttisNorthern Sami
- drozd čiernySlovak
- CërreAlbanian
- mëllënjaAlbanian
- mullejaAlbanian
- mullijaAlbanian
- mullizezaAlbanian
- qofka e murrmeAlbanian
- quklaAlbanian
- Obični kosSerbian
- koltrastSwedish
- Mkesha mweusiSwahili
- Кара баркылдыкTatar
- นกแบล็กเบิร์ดThai
- karatavukTurkish
- дрізд чорнийUkrainian
- Hoét đenVietnamese
- MeirelWest Flemish
- MåviWalloon
- MaerelaerZeelandic
- 烏鶇Chinese
- 欧乌鸫Chinese
- 欧亚乌鸫Chinese
- 歐亞黑鶇Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the common blackbird
Other species in the same genus Turdus.
Song thrush
Turdus philomelos
Fieldfare
Turdus pilaris
Mistle thrush
Turdus viscivorus
Ring ouzel
Turdus torquatus
Redwing
Turdus iliacus
American robin
Turdus migratorius
CompareCommon blackbird vs Song thrushCommon blackbird vs FieldfareCommon blackbird vs Mistle thrushCommon blackbird vs Ring ouzel
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the common blackbird?
The common blackbird is a bird in the family Turdidae, order Passeriformes. It belongs to the songbirds and other perching birds.
How heavy is the common blackbird?
The common blackbird has an adult body mass of 102.7 g, and its wingspan is 36 cm.
What does the common blackbird eat?
The common blackbird is an omnivore.
Is the common blackbird endangered?
No. The common blackbird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.
How long does the common blackbird live?
The common blackbird has a lifespan of 21.1 years, and the highest value reported by our sources is 21.8 years.
How many eggs does the common blackbird lay?
The common blackbird lays 4 eggs per clutch and has 4 clutches per year. The eggs are incubated for 13.5 days.
Who named the common blackbird?
The common blackbird, Turdus merula, was named by Linnaeus, 1758.
Does the common blackbird migrate?
No. The common blackbird is sedentary.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds · CC BY 4.0 · v7
Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Common blackbird (Turdus merula). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-blackbird
“Common blackbird (Turdus merula).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-blackbird.
@misc{common_blackbird_2026,
title = {Common blackbird (Turdus merula)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-blackbird},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}