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We received many comments back in August and September about an apparent lack of Blackbirds in gardens. This occurred alongside the expected drop, as birds begin to moult they become less confiding and prefer to spend their time in hiding.
However, this was particularly low this year, but why?
We began 2020 with slightly lower reporting rates for Blackbirds than a typical, but only by a few percent. We then saw the hot, dry spring during April and May. This is a peak time for breeding Blackbirds, when many will be attempting their first brood for the year.
Blackbirds feed their young on soft-bodied invertebrates, such as grubs, larvae and worms. These are largely found by investigating soft ground for these subterranean creatures. In the dry weather, many of these invertebrates dig further into the ground to find moisture.
This means many Blackbirds couldn’t find enough food for their chicks during the peak of the breeding season. Fewer chicks means there aren’t enough new birds to replace those lost by predation, meaning the population begins to come down.
We’ve continued to see low numbers for the rest of the year. This is explained by mild conditions in Scandinavia, with fewer birds boosting our winter population from mainland Europe. However, these differences are not as dramatic as in late summer.
We hope that you have found this thread about Blackbirds interesting! If you would like to find out more about this species, you can do so here: https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/a-z-garden-birds/blackbird?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=general_promo
https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/a-z-garden-birds/blackbird?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=general_promo
