Common Blackbird

Song & Calls

Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Male Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)

The Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of thrush found in Europe, parts of western Asia and North Africa. It has also been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. This species is also known as the Eurasian Blackbird or simply ‘blackbird’.

The rich melodious song of the male Common Blackbird is a familiar sound to many in Europe. Males often sing from an elevated perch, with each phrase a varied combination of mellow, slurred whistles ending with a short scrambled twitter. Common Blackbirds also make a range of other calls including high-pitched ‘srii’ contact notes, soft ‘djuk’ clucks, nasal metallic twink calls and an excited alarm-rattle ‘whinny’. 

Listen to Common Blackbird Song

This sample in the video below was recorded in the Sierra de las Nieves, Spain and features typical melodious song phrases from a male Common Blackbird as well as ‘djuk’ calls, and some twink calls and an alarm rattle toward the end of the video.

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