I saw an interesting blackbird perched on my Exochorda earlier. It was a
male, being totally black, had a yellow beak but no yellow eye ring.

I had always understood that the British black bird was black with yellow
beak and eye ring and that the european blackbird was also black, but with
brown beak and no discernible eye ring.

Have I always got this wrong, or could British and european blackbirds be
cross-breeding? .... or another explanation.

Spider

In message , Spider
writes
I saw an interesting blackbird perched on my Exochorda earlier. It was a
male, being totally black, had a yellow beak but no yellow eye ring.

I had always understood that the British black bird was black with yellow
beak and eye ring and that the european blackbird was also black, but with
brown beak and no discernible eye ring.

Have I always got this wrong, or could British and european blackbirds be
cross-breeding? .... or another explanation.

Spider

A male bird hatched this year will probably not yet have developed the
yellow eye ring of the full adult. You may find posting this to
uk.rec.birdwatching more productive in terms of coherent replies.
--
Turnstone

"Turnstone" wrote in message
...
In message , Spider
writes
I saw an interesting blackbird perched on my Exochorda earlier. It was a
male, being totally black, had a yellow beak but no yellow eye ring.

I had always understood that the British black bird was black with yellow
beak and eye ring and that the european blackbird was also black, but with
brown beak and no discernible eye ring.

Have I always got this wrong, or could British and european blackbirds be
cross-breeding? .... or another explanation.

Spider

A male bird hatched this year will probably not yet have developed the
yellow eye ring of the full adult. You may find posting this to
uk.rec.birdwatching more productive in terms of coherent replies.
--
Turnstone


Thanks, I'll try that.
Spider

I wondered where all the yellow beaks had gone -
I now know I have a garden populated by European blackbirds.
The question is: should I continue to encourage them by
providing food on the ground?

snippy
I wondered where all the yellow beaks had gone -
I now know I have a garden populated by European blackbirds.
The question is: should I continue to encourage them by
providing food on the ground?
Oh, come on now........are you serously a racist bird feeder?
--
Pete C
London UK

The message
from Janet Conroy contains
these words:

I wondered where all the yellow beaks had gone -
I now know I have a garden populated by European blackbirds.
The question is: should I continue to encourage them by
providing food on the ground?

Why not? they migrate every winter - except (probably) in particularly
mild ones.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Why not? they migrate every winter - except (probably) in particularly
mild ones.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig[/quote]

As long as they're not the avian equivalent of grey squirrels.
I wish they'd stop chucking mulch and leaves onto the paths.

"Spider" wrote in message
...
I saw an interesting blackbird perched on my Exochorda earlier. It
was a
male, being totally black, had a yellow beak but no yellow eye ring.

I had always understood that the British black bird was black with
yellow
beak and eye ring and that the european blackbird was also black, but
with
brown beak and no discernible eye ring.

Have I always got this wrong, or could British and european blackbirds
be
cross-breeding? .... or another explanation.

Spider

Spider,

This site http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/blackbird.htm expains it
all.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

"Emrys Davies" wrote in message
...
"Spider" wrote in message
...
I saw an interesting blackbird perched on my Exochorda earlier. It
was a
male, being totally black, had a yellow beak but no yellow eye ring.

I had always understood that the British black bird was black with
yellow
beak and eye ring and that the european blackbird was also black, but
with
brown beak and no discernible eye ring.

Have I always got this wrong, or could British and european blackbirds
be
cross-breeding? .... or another explanation.

Spider

Spider,

This site http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/blackbird.htm expains it
all.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.



Thanks Emrys. I've had a look, and it's a good site; duly saved in my
'favourites'.

Spider