Male blackbirds (Turdus merula) are distinctive because of their really black plumage, but sometimes they have random white patches, which this male seems to have around his eye. The blackbird was introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century and they’ve spread pretty much everywhere. They’re common in gardens and parks, farms and forests. Female blackbirds are brown rather than black and can be distinguished from the similarly-shaped song thrush (Turdus philomelos) in that they’re a darker brown and don’t have brown speckles on their chests, like thrushes do.
You must be logged in to post a comment.