Blackbirds (one of England’s most beautiful birdsongs!)
Blackbirds are common garden birds in England, and also possess one of the most beautiful songs. Males have black glossy plumage orange-yellow bills, and also live in forests, thriving on berries, fruits and earthworms. Their main threats are cats, magpies and sparrowhawks. Females have mottled brown feathers.
Read how to create safe havens for garden birds, and how to stop birds flying into windows.
Male blackbirds love to sing from high perches, especially at dawn and sunset, and after rain (sound travels faster and brings worms and insects to the surface). They use their strong yellow beaks to dig up food, while females build cosy mud-cemented bowl nests in shrubs, hedges and low trees.
Just like the blue-footed booby bird shows his bright blue feet to find a mate, the brighter a male’s bill, the more change he is of finding a female to impress. Together they eat insects, snails, fruits and berries, and most pair for life, defending their territory during breeding season.
The Stunning Black Colours of Nature
The mysterious colour black is everywhere. While many people marvel at bright colours, consider how beautiful black creatures are like bears! Or the black darkness of a night sky or the morning song of a blackbird.
Black plants are very rare. There are black tulips (like all bulbs, toxic to pets). And black bat flowers look they are from some fantasy tale. You’ll also find black minerals like obsidian (volcanic glass) and jet).
Nature rarely produces ‘true black’. Mostly creatures we call black, are just a mix of deep shades of brown. A few creatures like black panthers are swans) are black, but most aren’t.
Of course, all protected crows (most are black apart from jays) are black. Their feathers help them blend into the shadows, to offer protection. Just like some fish, who stay hidden in ocean depths, if they are black.
Often black offers camouflage for creatures. Consider penguins hiding from polar bears, or puffins hiding from black-backed gulls.
