Common Blackbird

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The Common Blackbird is a medium-sized, long-tailed thrush measuring approximately 25 centimetres. Males are unmistakable, featuring uniform glossy black plumage contrasted by a bright orange-yellow bill and a narrow yellow eye-ring. Females are dark sooty-brown with a paler, streaked throat and faint mottling on the breast; their bills are a duller brownish-yellow. Juveniles are a warmer rufous-brown and conspicuously streaked with buff across the upperparts and breast. The voice is a hallmark of suburban gardens: a rich, flute-like series of melodious, low-pitched notes, often delivered from high perches at dawn and dusk. When startled, it emits a sharp, metallic "chink-chink" or a loud, frantic rattling alarm call. Behaviorally, this species is highly terrestrial, moving with a series of quick hops and runs. It frequently stops to tilt its head or vigorously toss leaf litter aside while foraging for invertebrates and fallen fruit. Upon landing, it typically cocks its tail upward and performs a characteristic wing flick. Flight is low and direct between patches of dense cover. Though introduced, it is a common resident across southeastern Australia—from the Eyre Peninsula to southeastern Queensland and throughout Tasmania—as well as southwestern Western Australia. It thrives in urban parks, orchards, and gardens, but also occupies temperate forests and rainforest margins. Males are distinguished from the Satin Bowerbird by their orange bill and from the Common Starling by their longer tail and hopping gait. Females lack the bold, black crescent-shaped scales of the native Bassian Thrush and are browner than the Grey Shrike-thrush, which possesses a heavier, hooked bill.

Description · BirdUp · CC BY-SA 4.0

1. 01

   Bright orange-yellow bill (male)

   The male's bill is strikingly bright orange-yellow, providing a sharp contrast against its black plumage. It may dull slightly in the non-breeding season.

2. 02

   Conspicuous yellow eye-ring (male)

   A distinct bright yellow ring surrounds the eye of the adult male, clearly visible against its black head.

3. 03

   Entirely glossy black plumage (male)

   Adult males are uniformly glossy black across the entire body, lacking any markings or mottling.

4. 04

   Female's sooty-brown body and paler throat

   Female is dark brown. Note the lighter, sometimes faintly mottled, throat and breast.