Birds
Common Blackbird
Turdus merula · Mierlă
One of the most familiar songbirds in Romania, from forests to city parks.
At a glance
- Status in Romania
- Resident
- Habitat
- Forest / Urban
- Activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Diet
- Omnivorous and opportunistic: insects, earthworms, snails, spiders, small vertebrates, and fruit of blackthorn, hawthorn, cornel, bramble, rose hip, elder and others.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Easy to observe
Photography Guide
Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.
- Where and how to look
- Lawns, parks and woodland edges; singing males are easiest at dawn and dusk.
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Behaviour to anticipate
- Birds pulling earthworms on lawns after rain.
- Photography difficulty
- Easy to observe
- Starting shutter speed
- Around 1/1000 sec for a feeding bird.
- Fieldcraft
- Expose for the black plumage without blowing out the bill; soft light helps.
- Ethics
- Keep away from nests, do not use playback in the breeding season, and let the bird decide how close it comes.
Identification
The male is all black with a yellow-orange bill and eye-ring; the female is dark brown.
Habitat
Most types of woodland, forest edges, orchards, hedges, gardens and parks.
Distribution
Across Romania except the alpine zone.
Approximate range in Romania
Diet
Omnivorous and opportunistic: insects, earthworms, snails, spiders, small vertebrates, and fruit of blackthorn, hawthorn, cornel, bramble, rose hip, elder and others.
Behaviour
Can raise up to three broods a year; young leave the nest after 13–14 days and stay dependent on the parents for some time.
Seasonality in Romania
Breeds in Romania. Partly migratory in the northern half of the country and the mountains, mostly resident in the lowlands; birds from northern populations arrive on passage and in winter.
- JanPresent
- FebPresent
- MarPresent
- AprPresent
- MayPresent
- JunPresent
- JulPresent
- AugPresent
- SepPresent
- OctPresent
- NovPresent
- DecPresent
Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. * Event timing retained from the earlier entry, not yet source-verified.
Breeding
Breeds March–September; up to three clutches a year of 2–6 eggs.