Kennedy Wild Bird Food Guide to the Blackbird

Gone are the days of baking 'four and twenty blackbirds' in a pie! Nowadays, there are between 10 and 15 million blackbirds living in UK gardens, countrysides and cities. Our complete blackbird guide will tell you everything you need to know about these feathered friends, as well providing you with top tips to help you care for one of the country's most common bird breeds.

What do blackbirds look like?

What bird food is best for blackbirds?

Blackbirds often eat insects and worms that they find whilst rummaging through the ground. However, they also eat a range of seeds, fruits and kitchen scraps. Keep your garden feeder topped up with our mixed wild bird food to provide a tasty treat for any blackbirds that come to visit. Alternatively try our specially blended Blackbird and Thrush mixture. If you're unsure of what to feed any wild birds that visit your garden, be sure to read our guide on choosing the right bird food. Visit our full A-Z list of birds to find out about other bird breeds.

What do baby blackbirds eat?

Baby blackbirds need the right nutrients and bird food to ensure they grow up to be healthy and strong adults. If you find an injured or sole young blackbird, feeding it insects, earthworms and maggots can help to sustain it until you can get to a nearby animal rescue shelter. Did you know? Even the most experienced birders sometimes confuse young blackbirds for thrushes and robins! This is because juvenile blackbird feathers are often a deep reddish brown.

Blackbird facts

The common blackbird (Turdus Merula) is typically around 10 inches long, has a wingspan of 14-15 inches and usually weighs between 80 and 125 grams. There are over 4 million breeding pairs in the UK, however, these numbers have depleted in the last 25 years. If you spot a blackbird, be sure to log your sighting in our great BirdSpotter app and help towards the conservation of these beautiful birds!

What does a blackbird sound like?

The blackbird's song is probably one of the most well-known bird songs for us here in the UK. It's high pitched drill has an underlying sing-song quality to it that cements itself as one of the classic UK bird songs. Click here to listen

Where do blackbirds live?

Fortunately for us bird lovers, blackbirds are present all year round and live in all areas of the UK. So, you certainly won't miss the opportunity to spot these striking creatures! They also live in a number of other locations around the world such as the Mediterranean, Europe and even as far as China. Did you know? Not all blackbirds are actually black! The males are typically jet-black with an orange beak, whereas the females have dark brown feathers with a yellowy-brown beak.