The blackbird (Turdus merula) is surely one of the best-known birds that nest here. Males are as black as coal. Only their beak and the ring around the eye are yellow-orange, but with the departure of autumn they darken each year; with the arrival of spring and the start of the breeding season they become vibrant colors again. The female is dark brown, with the throat and chest somewhat paler and speckled with a pattern of darker spots. The young resemble the females, but they also have the pattern of darker spots on the back. The bird measures about 25 cm in length.
The blackbird is a diurnal species that spends a large part of its life on the ground. It can be found practically everywhere, as it is undemanding and highly adaptable; it is a true generalist in the real sense of the word. It lives in forests and on their edges, in the margins of the cultural landscape, but it is common in parks and gardens in human settlements. It is omnivorous. Its diet consists of earthworms, slugs and insects, and various fruits and berries. From the end of winter to the peak of summer its loud melodic song often wakes us up or accompanies us to sleep. If the blackbird is frightened during its daily activities, it will fly away to safety with a loud "chak-chak-chak-chak-chak".
The pair nests between March and May, and the pair usually stays together for life. A cup-shaped nest, which is mainly made from plant material, is usually built by the female, and is hidden among the branches of a dense shrub, in the crown of a small tree, or on some building. The young grow quickly and soon climb out of the nest and hide in the bushes, as this makes them harder for predators to detect.
In Slovenia the blackbird is a common and widely distributed year-round species. From the cooler parts of its range, as winter arrives, the blackbirds migrate south, and the following spring they return again to the nesting area.
