Recorded on TrailCam in hedgerow (Norfolk) and made me wonder about how to distinguish between female blackbird and song thrush. I thing below is a female blackbird but when I think about it I really don't know why, maybe because the breast is darker with less distinct pattern? (embarrassing for such a basic ID) and I accept I may be wrong.
When you don't have size or song are there definitive characteristics?
You're correct in thinking this is a female Blackbird. Song Thrush, which is slightly smaller, is a much more contrasting looking bird with usually warm mid-brown (paler than Blackbird) upperparts (but some wintering European birds are a bit greyer) & much paler underparts with distinct arrow-pointed spots.
Wonderful photos of a female blackbird Ian, yep, the breast is much lighter on the song thrush making the markings much more prominent. Either way can I suggest Collins Life size Birds as a reference book. Mine was £ 29.99 but I believe the price has come down quite a bit since then. Ok you may find the price a bit on the heavy side as is the book, but it’s one I can recommend. Not to mention the photo plates being simply amazing.
Note
The price will much depend on whom to purchase it from, so can I suggest you shop around; I’ve only chosen Amazon so you can take a look inside.
Many thanks. I thought it was but then when I started wondering why I became uncertain nabout distinguishing (plus, they are same genus).
Trailcam came good on the pics as they are actually video not stills and she was a real poser in front of the camera. I've still to "assemble" the clips (as she decided one appearance was not enough) so will post video when I get round to grading, etc. I seem to have found a popular spot as TrailCam was only there for 6 hrs and also got a load of clips of robin feeding as well. At times more than one visitor (as at one point she was being filmed something else was bashing the trailcam around - and given she was only 60 cm away that must have been another bird - had previous times where filming a bird foraging and it'll jump up on top of camera (see the jump towards camera, wings flutter and camera bounces around a bit.
Eventually I got round to assembling the various clips the above stills were taken from.
Nothing amazing happens and it's 3 mins long and once you've seen a little, not much else happens. I just love the way they fling leaves and debris out of the way and then turn their head to look where they've exposed and they really do seem top find stuff.
