Introduced from Europe in the 1860’s and 1870’s and now considered the most widespread species within New Zealand, especially in gardens, parks, orchards, farmlands, scrub and forest.

The male blackbird as the name suggests is black with a bright orange bill whereas the female is dark brown with a pale throat and smudgy mottled breast with a dull orange and brown bill.  The song is a loud, clear melodious warble.  The alarm call is a persistent sharp “chink – chink”.

Blackbirds feed mainly on the ground and eat insects, spiders and a wide variety of fruits from both native podocarps and shrubs and introduced shrubs and weeds.  They cause damage to orchards and despite helping to disperse seeds of fleshy – fruited understorey plants in native forests they also spread weed seeds into native forests and crops.

Usually they breed from late August to early January and 2 – 3 broods a year are raised, sometimes in the same nest.  A substantial nest of twigs, grass, roots and moss, fortified with mud and roughly lined with grass and leaf skeletons holds 2 – 6 eggs which are bluish green to greenish brown, freckled with reddish brown.  The female incubates for 13 – 14 days and both parents feed the chicks which fledge at 13 – 15 days.

Photography by: Dr Kerry Rodgers © (Male - top left; female - right; juvenile - bottom left)

References: Heather, B.D.; Robertson, H.A. 2000 The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Auckland, Viking.
Moon, G The Reed Field Guide to New Zealand Birds.