table of contents
- Identify blackbird eggs
- The breeding season
- The blackbird's nest
- The eggs
- frequently asked Questions
Bird nests can be found in the garden again and again. Which birds are involved can easily be determined using various characteristics. This is how you can recognize blackbird eggs in no time at all.
In a nutshell
- Blackbird eggs are green with very different patterns and characteristics
- the nests are typically found in hedges, shrubs or other protective woody plants
- Usually there are 4 to 5 eggs in the clutch, rarely 3 or 6 eggs
Identify blackbird eggs
To safely identify the blackbird's eggs, you should not rely solely on the eggs themselves. Because some other aspects around the clutch already offer reliable clues as to whether you are really dealing with Turdus Merula.
The breeding season
Blackbirds breed twice, and under favorable conditions even three times a year. The individual broods all fall between March and July. If you meet a clutch outside of these times, it is very likely that it is not the black thrush.
The blackbird's nest
Take a close look at the nest you find and include not only the nest building itself, but also the location and the surroundings. Because blackbirds prefer very typical locations for their clutch:
- in the protection of trees or dense bushes and hedges
- partly close to the ground, but preferably from around one meter above the ground in urban areas
The blackbird nest itself has the following characteristics:
- Average diameter 16 centimeters
- rather smaller in forks and niches
- free on tree stumps and other flat surfaces rather larger
- round, partly oval shape
- Diameter of the inner trough by 10 centimeters
Note: Blackbirds prefer open areas for foraging, interrupted by bushes and other woody plants. However, this feature is difficult to apply in the vicinity of your own garden, since most gardens with lawns and beds already meet this requirement.
The eggs
Now you finally get to the actual eggs. The blackbird eggs are easy to recognize by the following features:
- Shape mostly oval, partly short oval (almost round)
- Fresh eggs are generally green in color, but the exact color and markings vary greatly in the form of spots or dots
- Surface moderately glossy ("silk matt")
- average size length x width 29.5 x 21.5 millimeters
- Weight on average just over 7 grams
frequently asked Questions
4 to 5 eggs are typical for clutches of the blackbird. 3 or 6 eggs are seldom laid, although observations show that the female blackbird does not begin to breed until the third egg in the clutch.
The average incubation period is 14 days. Only the female breeds.
A blackbird nest cannot be identified from the material used. Because the animals use the materials that can be found on site. Like countless other bird species, twigs, moss, blades of grass, but also countless other materials are used.
