Eurasian Blackbird - Turdus merula

General Information

Common Name : Eurasian Blackbird
Scientific Name : Turdus merula (Linnaeus, 1758)

Order : Passeriformes
Family : Turdidae
Taxonomic Group : Passeriformes - Turdidae ( Thrushes and allies )
Vernacular Name : Hindi: Kasturi, Sanskrit: Krushnapaksha kasturika, Punjab: Kali kasturi, Gujarat: Kasturi, Shyamasharir kasturo, Maharashtra: Kasturi, Tamil: Karikuruvi, Telugu: Poda palisa, Malayalam (Kerala): Karimkili, Sinhala (Sri Lanka): Kalu kurulla

Pictures

General Species Profile

Taxonomy

Clements Checklist of Birds of the World 6.4 December 2009 Updated

Common Name : Eurasian Blackbird
Scientific Name : Turdus merula
Order : Passeriformes Family : Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)
Number of SubSpecies : 15

Taxon Category	Sub Species / Race	Range
subspecies	Turdus merula merula	W Europe; introd. se Australia, Tasmania, Norfolk, Lord Howe is.
subspecies	Turdus merula azorensis	Azores
subspecies	Turdus merula cabrerae	Madeira and w Canary Islands
subspecies	Turdus merula mauritanicus	North Africa (Morocco to Tunisia)
subspecies	Turdus merula aterrimus (insularum)	SE Europe to Crete, Rhodes, Caucasus, Transcaucasia and n Iran
subspecies	Turdus merula syriacus	S Turkey to Syria, n Iraq and s Iran
subspecies	Turdus merula intermedius	C Asia to ne Afghanistan, Pamirs and Xinjiang; winters to s Iraq
subspecies	Turdus merula maximus	W Pakistan and India to Sikkim, Bhutan and se Tibet
subspecies	Turdus merula sowerbyi	SW China (Sichuan)
subspecies	Turdus merula mandarinus	W-central China (Guizhou)
subspecies	Turdus merula nigropileus	W Ghats (Gujarat to Mysore) and Nilgiri Plateau of s central India
subspecies	Turdus merula spencei	E Ghats (Madhya Pradesh to Seshachalam Hills) of e India
subspecies	Turdus merula simillimus	SW India (Mysore and w Madras)
subspecies	Turdus merula bourdilloni	SW India (Kerala)
subspecies	Turdus merula kinnisii	Hills of Sri Lanka

Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World 2006

3rd Edition, 2003. Revised and Corrected per Corrigenda to December 31, 2006

Common Name : Eurasian Blackbird
Scientific Name : Turdus merula
Number of SubSpecies : 16

Sub Species / Race
Turdus merula merula
Turdus merula azorensis
Turdus merula cabrerae
Turdus merula mauritanicus
Turdus merula aterrimus
Turdus merula syriacus
Turdus merula intermedius
Turdus merula maximus
Turdus merula buddae
Turdus merula sowerbyi
Turdus merula mandarinus
Turdus merula nigropileus
Turdus merula spencei
Turdus merula simillimus
Turdus merula bourdilloni
Turdus merula kinnisii

IOC World Bird Names (version 2.2)

IOC Common Name : Common Blackbird
IOC Scientific Name : Turdus merula

Distribution :
Region : EU, OR Range : Widespread
Order : PASSERIFORMES Family : Turdidae
Category : Thrushes

A Synopsis of the Birds of India and Pakistan

SYNOPIS NO : 1751-1757

Scientific Name: Turdus merula
Common Name: Blackbird

Birdlife International Checklist Ver 3 June 2010

Common Name : Eurasian Blackbird
Scientific Name : Turdus merula (Linnaeus, 1758)
Birdlife Synonym : Common Blackbird (1); Common Blackbird (5); Blackbird (6); Blackbird (12); Common Blackbird (15)

BirdLife Redlist Status Year 2010: LC
BirdLife Species FactSheet for Eurasian Blackbird ( Turdus merula )

Taxonomy Treatment : R

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

IUCN Common Name (Eng) : Eurasian Blackbird, Blackbird, Common Blackbird
Scientific Name : Turdus merula (Linnaeus, 1758)
IUCN Redlist Species FactSheet for Eurasian Blackbird, Blackbird, Common Blackbird ( Turdus merula )

Species : merula
Genus : Turdus
Family : Turdidae Order : Passeriformes

IUCN RedList Status : LC

IUCN RedList Criteria Version : 3.1
IUCN RedList Year Assessed : 2008
IUCN RedList Petitioned : N

Oriental Bird Club Checklist Draft Novemebr 2009

Family : TURDIDAE

Scientific Name : Turdus merula
Common Name : Eurasian Blackbird

IOC Checklist Difference : Common Blackbird;Turdus maximus Tibetan Blackbird;Turdus simillimus Indian Blackbird;

Bibliography

Bibliography of Eurasian Blackbird ( Turdus merula )
Number of Results found : 100

This is latest 100 Papers. To see Complete Bibliography of Eurasian Blackbird ( Turdus merula ) Use Species Bibliography Module

1. KAREL WEIDINGER , (2009), Nest predators of woodland open-nesting songbirds in central Europe, Ibis, 151:2: 352 - 360.

2. Davenport J;O'Halloran J;Hannah F;McLaughlin O;Smiddy P; , (2009), Comparison of Plumages of White-Throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus and Blackbird Turdus merula, Waterbirds, 32:1: 169 - 178.

3. Van Vliet J;Musters CJM;Ter Keurs WJ; , (2009), Changes in migration behaviour of Blackbirds Turdus merula from the Netherlands, Bird Study, 56:2: 276 - 281.

4. Szabolcs NAGY ; KÃ�Â¡roly NAGY ; Tibor SZÃ�â�°P , (2009), Potential impact of EU accession on common farmland bird populations in Hungary., Acta Ornithologica, 44:1: 37 - 44.

5. PATRICK J. C. WHITE, CHRIS STOATE, JOHN SZCZUR, KEN NORRIS , (2008), Investigating the effects of predator removal and habitat management on nest success and breeding population size of a farmland passerine: a case study, Ibis, 150:s1: 178 - 190.

6. Seaton R;Hyde N;Holland JD;Minot EO;Springett BP; , (2008), Breeding Season Diet and Prey Selection of the New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) in a Plantation Forest, Journal of Raptor Research, 42:4: 256 - 264.

7. S. SOMASUNDARAM & L. VIJAYAN , (2008), Foraging behaviour and Guild structure of birds in the Montane Wet temperate forest of the Palni Hills, South India , Podoces - West & Central Asian Ornithological Journal, 3:1-2: 79 - 91.

8. Adam RAES ; Louis LEFEBVRE ; Kurt JORDAENS , (2008), First report of fishing in the European Blackbird Turdus merula., Acta Ornithologica, 43:2: 231 - 234.

9. Martinez I; Garcia D; Obeso JR , (2008), Differential seed dispersal patterns generated by a common assemblage of vertebrate frugivores in three fleshy-fruited trees, Ã�coscience, 15(2): 189 - 199.

10. Martinu J; Dusbabek F; Literak I , (2008), A review of mites of the genus Neharpyrhynchus Fain (Acari: Harpirhynchidae) - ectoparasites of wild birds, including description of four new species., International Journal of Acarology, 34: 197 - 209.

11. Phillip Cassey, John G. Ewen, Rebecca L. Boulton, Filiz Karadas, Anders P. MÃ¸ller, Tim M. Blackburn , (2007), A nondestructive method for extracting maternally derived egg yolk carotenoids , Journal of Field Ornithology, 78:3: 314 - 321.

12. Kevin A. Parker , (2007), Opportunistic scavenging or active predation of a blackbird (Turdus merula) by an Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)?, Notornis, 54:2: 92 - 92.

13. Macleod CJ;Till A; , (2007), Crop use by introduced bird species in winter in relation to crop structure and seed resources: Capsule Most species preferred to forage in grassland where seed resources were more abundant and the vegetation was uniform in height but heterogeneous in density, Bird Study, 54:1: 80 - 86.

14. Chamberlain DE;Gosler AG;Glue DE; , (2007), Effects of the winter beechmast crop on bird occurrence in British gardens: Capsule Woodland birds were significantly less likely to occur in gardens in years of high beechmast crop, Bird Study, 54:1: 120 - 126.

15. Murgui E , (2007), Factors influencing the bird community of urban wooded streets along an annual cycle, Maryland Birdlife, 84(2): 66 - 77.

16. Chamberlain DE; Gosler AG; Glue DE , (2007), Effects of the winter beechmast crop on bird occurrences in British gardens., Bird Study, 54: 120 - 126.

17. Chamberlain DE; Gough S; Vaughan H; Vickery JA; Appleton GF , (2007), Determinants of bird species richness in public green spaces., Bird Study, 54: 87 - 97.

18. MacLeod CJ; Till A , (2007), Crop use by introduced bird species in winter in relation to crop structure and seed resources., Bird Study, 54: 80 - 86.

19. Hale K; Briskie JV , (2007), Response of introduced European birds in New Zealand to experimental brood parasitism., Journal ofÂ Avian Biology, 38: 198 - 204.

20. DAI MORGAN, JOSEPH R. WAAS, JOHN INNES , (2006), Do territorial and non-breeding Australian Magpies Gymnorhina tibicen influence the local movements of rural birds in New Zealand?, Ibis, 148:2: 330 - 342.

21. Ignacio S. GARCÃ�A DIOS , (2006), Diet of the booted eagle Hieraaetus pennatus in the south of Avila: Importance of the songbirds, Ardeola, 53:1: 39 - 54.

22. Post P;Ga tmark F;Murphy MT; , (2006), FORAGING BEHAVIOR AND PREDATION RISK IN MALE AND FEMALE EURASIAN BLACKBIRDS (TURDUS MERULA) DURING THE BREEDING SEASON, The Auk, 123:1: 162 - 170.

23. Mason CF; Macdonald SM , (2006), Drinking and bathing by birds in a garden., British Birds, 99: 521 - 530.

24. Wilson MW; Pithon J; Gittings T; Kelly TC; Giller PS; O`Halloran J , (2006), Effects of growth stage and tree species composition on breeding bird assemblages of plantation forests., Bird Study, 53: 225 - 236.

25. Craig Robson , (2005), Common or Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), BIRDS OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA; New Holland Publishers Ltd, : 88.

26. Dai Morgan, Joseph R. Waas and John Innes , (2005), Magpie interactions with other birds in New Zealand: results from a literature review and public survey, Notornis, 52:2: 61 - 74.

27. Newson SE;Woodburn RJW;Noble DG;Baillie SR;Gregory RD; , (2005), Evaluating the Breeding Bird Survey for producing national population size and density estimates: Capsule The BBS has potential for producing better estimates of habitat-specific densities and population sizes for many UK bird populations than those available previously, Bird Study, 52:1: 42 - 54.

28. Chvala S;Bakonyi T;Hackl R;Hess M;Nowotny N;WeissenbA ck H; , (2005), Limited pathogenicity of Usutu virus for the domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus), Avian Pathology, 34:5: 392 - 395.

29. Grim T;Brittingham M; , (2005), HOST RECOGNITION OF BROOD PARASITES: IMPLICATIONS FOR METHODOLOGY IN STUDIES OF ENEMY RECOGNITION, The Auk, 122:2: 530 - 543.

30. Monika ZieliÃ�â��ska, Piotr ZieliÃ�â��ski and Tomasz Mokwa , (2005), JUVENILE BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula) MOULTING PRIMARIES AND SECONDARIES, The Ring, 27:1: .

31. Witt K. ; Mitschke A. ; Luniak M. , (2005), A comparison of common bird populations in Hamburg, Berlin and Warsaw, Acta Ornithologica, 40:2: 139 - 146.

32. Wysocki D. , (2005), Nest site selection in the urban population of Blackbirds Turdus merula in Szczecin (NW Poland)., Acta Ornithologica, 40:1: 61 - 69.

33. SkÃ�Â³rka P. ; WÃ�Â³jcik J. D. , (2005), Population dynamics and social behavior of Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus during winter., Acta Ornithologica, 40:1: 34 - 42.

34. Archbold M; Poiani A; Browning G , (2005), Cloacal microbes in wild birds: implications for conservation., Victorian Naturalist, 122: 236 - 243.

35. Zawadzka D; Zawadzki J , (2005), Effect of land use type on diet composition and foraging ecology of the Raven Corvus corax in the Suwalki region (NE Poland)., In: Corvids of Poland (Jerzak L; Kavenagh BP; Tryjanowski P; Eds.), : 373 - 384.

36. Wysocki D , (2005), Does corvid abundance affect the breeding success of urban populations of European Blackbird Turdus merula?, In: Corvids of Poland (Jerzak L; Kavenagh BP; Tryjanowski P; Eds.), : 231 - 237.

37. Ernst S , (2005), Short notes on the bird life of Sao Miguel (Azores)., Ornithologische Mitteilungen, 57: 48 - 58.

38. Kane KWS; KaneHMR , (2005), Mimicry by Blackbirds, British Birds, 98: 378 - 379.

39. Middleton P , (2005), Blackbird defending food source with a leaf, British Birds, 98: 266.

40. Wesolowski T; Tomialojc L , (2005), Nest sites, nest depredation, and productivity of avian broods in a primeval temperate forest: do the generalisations hold?, Journal ofÂ Avian Biology, 36: 361 - 367.

41. Partecke J; Hof TJV; Gwinner E , (2005), Underlying physiological control of reproduction in urban and forest-dwelling European Blackbirds Turdus merula., Journal ofÂ Avian Biology, 36: 295 - 305.

42. Mannelli A; Nebbia P; Tramuta C; Grego E; Tomassone L; Ainardi R; Venturini L; De Meneghi D; Meneguz PG , (2005), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection in larval Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding on Blackbirds in northwestern Italy., Journal of Medical Entomology, 42: 168 - 175.

43. RF Porter; S.Christensen; P.Schiermacker-Hansen , (2004), Common or Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), BIRDS OF THE MIDDLE EAST; Poyser, : 160.

44. Simpson; Day , (2004), Common or Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), FIELD GUIDE to the BIRDS of AUSTRALIA; Princeton University Press, 7th Edition: 280.

45. Sperl J; , (2004 ), [Blackbird Turdus merula and Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus feed their young 50 cm apart from each other], Ornithologische Mitteilungen, 56:6/7: 289.

46. PHILIP W. ATKINSON, DAVID BUCKINGHAM, ANTONY J. MORRIS , (2004), What factors determine where invertebrate-feeding birds forage in dry agricultural grasslands?, Ibis, 146:s2: 99 - 107.

47. Wysocki D. , (2004), Within-season divorce rate in an urban population of European Blackbird Turdus merula., Ardea, 92:2: 219 - 227.

48. Wysocki D. , (2004), Alternative mating strategies in the urban population of the European Blackbird Turdus merula in Szczecin (NW Poland)., Ardea, 92:1: 103 - 107.

49. Markuu J. Huttunen , (2004), Autumn migration of thrushes over eastern Finland: A comparison of visible migration and ringing recovery patterns, Ringing & Migration, 22:1: 13.

50. Jacquie A. Clark, Robert A. Robinson, Dawn E. Balmer, Sue Y. Adams, Mark P. Collier, Mark J. Grantham, Jeremy R. Blackburn and Bridget M. Griffin , (2004), Bird ringing in Britain and Ireland in 2003, Ringing & Migration, 22:2: 85.

51. Dariusz Wysocki D., Walasz K , (2004), Nest sharing by two Blackbird Turdus merula females. , Acta Ornithologica, 39:1: 79 - 81.

52. Wysocki D , (2004), [Observations of "miscopulations" in the Blackbird Turdus merula and Fieldfare T. pilaris.], Notatki Ornitologiczne, 45: 124 - 125.

53. Wysocki D , (2004), Age structure of urban population of the blackbird (Turdus merula) in Szczecin (NW Poland)., ZoologicaÂ Poloniae, 49: 219 - 227.

54. Wysocki D , (2004), Within-season divorce rate in an urban population of European Blackbird Turdus merula., Ardea, 92: 218 - 228.

55. Wysocki D , (2004), Alternative mating strategies in the urban populations of the European Blackbird Turdus merula in Szczecin (NW Poland)., Ardea, 92: 103 - 107.

56. Cleere N , (2004), Unusual breeding behaviour of Blackbirds, British Birds, 97: 250.

57. Young HG , (2004), Blackbird mimicking exotic birds, British Birds, 97: 250.

58. Duckworth JW , (2004), Eight birds new to DPR Korea., Forktail, 20: 116 - 120.

59. Weidinger K , (2004), Relative effects of nest size and site on the risk of predation in open nesting passerines., Journal ofÂ Avian Biology, 35: 515 - 523.

60. van Polanen Petel T; Lill A , (2004), Bird communities of some urban bushland fragments: implications for conservation, Australian Field Ornithology, 21: 21 - 32.

61. Cleere N , (2004), Unusual breeding behaviour of Blackbirds., British Birds, 97: 250.

62. Young HG , (2004), Blackbird mimicking exotic birds., British Birds, 97: 250.

63. Barnea A: Pannell CM , (2004), Male Blackbird defending Holly fruits., British Birds, 97: 100 - 101.

64. Slaheddine Selmi, Thierry Boulinier, Bruno Faivre , (2003), Distribution and abundance patterns of a newly colonizing species in Tunisian oases: the Common Blackbird Turdus merula, Ibis, 145:4: 681 - 688.

65. Scharlemann J.P.W. , (2003), Long-term declines in eggshell thickness of Dutch thrushes Turdus spp., Ardea, 91:2: 205 - 211.

66. Mason CF; , (2003), Some correlates of density in an urban Blackbird Turdus merula population: Blackbird density within a town is related to the proportion of gardens, open space and housing density within individual developments, Bird Study, 50:2: 185 - 188.

67. Hampe A; , (2003), Frugivory in European Laurel: how extinct seed dispersers have been substituted: Capsule Extinction of ancient frugivores during the Quaternary has led to a depauperated seed disperser community for Laurus nobilis and a tight mutualism between the plant and the Blackbird Turdus merula, Bird Study, 50:3: 280 - 284.

68. Kopij G , (2003), Quantitative studies on breeding birds in the Gnojna Forest, Tulowice forest district, Opole province., Przyroda Slaska Opolskiego, 9: 8 - 10.

69. Goedbloed I , (2003), Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus robbed and Blackbird Turdus merula drowned., De Takkeling, 11: 149 - 150.

70. Scharlemann JPW , (2003), Long-term decline in eggshell thickness of Dutch thrushes Turdus spp., Ardea, 91: 205 - 212.

71. Hampe A , (2003), Frugivory in European Laurel: how extinct seed dispersers have been substituted., Bird Study, 50: 280 - 284.

72. Faivre B; Preault M; Salvadori F; Thery M; Gaillard M; Cezilly F , (2003), Bill colour and immunocompetence in the European Blackbird., Animal Behaviour, 65: 1125 - 1131.

73. Arnaud Gregoire, Bruno Faivre, Philipp Heeb, Frank Cezilly , (2002), A comparison of infestation patterns by Ixodes ticks in urban and rural populations of the Common Blackbird Turdus merula, Ibis, 144:4: 640 - 645.

74. Dariusz Wysocki , (2002), BIOMETRICAL ANALYSIS OF AN URBAN POPULATION OF THE BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula) IN SZCZECIN (NW POLAND), The Ring, 24:2: .

75. Iain G. Main , (2002), Seasonal movements of Fennoscandian Blackbirds Turdus merula, Ringing & Migration, 21:2: 65.

76. Wojcik JD , (2002), The comparative osteology of the humerus in European thrushes (Aves: Turdus) including a comparison with other similarly sized genera of passerine birds --preliminary results., Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 45 (Suppl.): 369 - 381.

77. Singh, A. P. , (2002), New and significant records from Dehra Dun Valley, lower Garhwal Himalayas, India., Forktail, 18: 151 - 153.

78. Joseph Kren , (2001), Common or Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), BIRDS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC; Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd, : 198.

79. MICHAEL STREIF, O. ANNE E. RASA , (2001), Divorce and its consequences in the Common Blackbird Turdus merula, Ibis, 143:3: 554 - 560.

80. ESTEBAN FERNANDEZ-JURICIC , (2001), Density-dependent habitat selection of corridors in a fragmented landscape, Ibis, 143:2: 278 - 287.

81. Ashleigh Bright and Joseph Waas , (2001), UV reflectance, bill colour, and territory defence in blackbirds (Turdus merula), Notornis, 48:3: 182 - 182.

82. TELLERÃ�A, J. L., PÃ�REZ-TRIS, J. and CARBONELL, R. , (2001), Seasonal changes in abundance and flight-related morphology reveal different migration patterns in Iberian forest passerines, Ardeola, 48:1: 27 - 46.

83. Hampe A; , (2001), The role of fruit diet within a temperate breeding bird community in southern Spain, Bird Study, 48:1: 116 - 123.

84. Barry Kentish, Jack Harvey, Lyn Roberts and Jason Ross , (2001), Multivariate statistical analysis of songs of the male Common Blackbird (Turdus merula): an example from western Victoria, Australia, The Emu - Austral Ornithology, 101:4: 335 - 340.

85. Ranazzi L; Manganaro A; salvati L , (2001), Notes on the diet of successfully and failed breeding Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) in urban Rome, Italy., Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 44: 53 - 57.

86. Bairlein F , (2001), Results of bird ringing in the study of migration., Ardea, 89: 7 - 19.

87. King, B., et al. , (2001), Birds recorded during two expeditions to north Myanmar (Burma)., Forktail, 17: 29 - 40.

88. Alekseev, A. N., H. V. Dubinina, A. V. Semenov, C. V. Bolshakov. , (2001), Evidence of ehrlichiosis agents found in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from migratory birds., JournalÂ of MedicalÂ Entomology, 38: 471 - 474.

89. Kentish, B., J. Harvey, L. Roberts, J. Ross. , (2001), Multivariate statistical analysis of songs of the male Common Blackbird (Turdus merula): an example from western Victoria., Emu, 101: 335 - 340.

90. Smith RD; Ruxton GD; Cresswell W , (2001), Patch choice decisions of wild Blackbirds: the role of preharvest public information., Animal Behaviour, 61: 1113 - 1124.

91. Hampe A , (2001), The role of fruit diet within a temperate breeding bird community in southern Spain., Bird Study, 48: 116 - 123.

92. Weidinger K , (2001), Laying dates and clutch size of open-nesting passerines in the Czech Republic: a comparison of systematically and incidentally collected data., Bird Study, 48: 38 - 47.

93. M. Trotta , (2000), Note sul cleptoparassitismo dello Storno Sturnus vulgaris in periodo riproduttivo, Avocetta, 24.2: 129 - 131.

94. Woo-Shin Lee; Tae-Hoe Koo; Jin-Young Park , (2000), Common or Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula mandarinus), A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF KOREA; LG Evergreen Foundation,Korea, : .

95. Krys Kazmierczak; Ber van Perlo , (2000), Common or Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT; Yale University Press, : 274.

96. Esteban Fernandez-Juricic , (2000), Local and Regional Effects of Pedestrians on Forest Birds in a Fragmented Landscape, The Condor, 102:2: 247 - 255.

97. Sharma SK; , (2000), Presence of Black-capped Blackbird Turdus merula nigropileus (Lafresnaye) in forest of Deola Forest Range, Dist. Udaipur, Rajasthan, Zoos' Print, 15:12: 11.

98. Robson C; , (2000), From the field: Nepal, Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 32:: 70 - 71.

99. Robson C; , (2000), From the field: Bhutan, Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 32:: 66.

100. Robson C; , (2000), From the field: Burma, Oriental Bird Club Bulletin, 31:June: 51.

Book Excerpts

The Birds of India - Vol - I (1862)

Black-Capped Blackbird (Merula nigropileus)

359. Merula nigropileus, Lafr.

Turdus apud Lafresnaye - Belanger, Voy-dans L'Inde - Blyth Cat. 949 - M. braehypus, Blyth - Jerdon, 2nd Suppl. Cat. 83 bis - Horsf., Cat. 657 (in part) - Kasturi, H. - Podapalisa, Tel.

The Black-capped blackbird.

Descr. - Male, head, with the lores, cheeks and nape, deep black; back, rump, wings and tail, dark blackish, or fuscous-ashy, tinged with brown on the interscapulars ; chin blackish : neck, all round to the nape (contrasting there strongly with the black of the crown) ; and the lower-parts brownish-ashy, paler on the belly, and passing to white on the vent; under tail-coverts mingled white and ashy.

Bill, eyelids, and gape, orange-yellow; legs brownish-yellow ; irides brown. Length 9 1/2 inches ; wing not quite 5 ; tail 3 1/2 ; tarsus 1 2/10 ; bill at front 8/10.

The female differs in being altogether paler, the white of the vent spreading over more of the abdominal region, and the cap being dusky-brown. The tail is quite square, and the wings reach to less than two inches from the end of the tail. The color of this species fades very much in dried specimens, the black changing to
dusky brown.

This Blackbird is found, occasionally, throughout the greater Dart of the South of India, in the plains during the cold weather only; but is a permanent resident on the hilly regions of the south, at a moderate elevation.

It is found in Coorg, Wynaad, and other parts of the Western Ghats; also on the Eastern Ghats of Nellore, and in some of the higher table-lands in Central India, as in Bustar and Jalna. I have killed it in my own garden, at Nellore in the Carnatic; at Tellicherry, and other places at low elevation. I never saw it on the Neilgherries.

Like other Blackbirds, it feeds much on the ground on snails, soft insects, and occasionally on fruit. At Nellore, I found that it lived almost entirely on the pretty Helix bistrialis, so common in hedge-rows in the Carnatic. I heard its song at Tellicherry towards the end of the cold weather, but only very early in the morning, long before sunrise. I also heard it in Bustar in April, when it was breeding. It is not nearly so powerful, or so fine, as that of its Neilgherry or Ceylon congener. Mr. Ward obtained the nest in Sirci, in North Canara, made of roots, grass, &c, and with three eggs, pale blue spotted with brown.

Handbook to the Birds of the Bombay Presidency (1885)

Merula nigropilea

Merula nigropilea, Lafr.

359. :- Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 523 ; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. III, p. 470 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol, IX, p. 399.

The Black-capped Blackbird.

Length, 9.5 ; wing, 4.9; tail, 3.5 ; tarsus, 1.2 ; bill at front, 0.8.

Bill orange-yellow, as also are the gape and eyelids; legs brownish-yellow.

Male. :- Head, with the lores, cheeks and nape, deep black ; back, rump, wings and tail, dark-blackish, tinged with brown on the interscapulars ; chin blackish ; neck, all round to the nape (contrasting there strongly with the black of the crown) and the lower parts brownish-ashy, paler on the belly, and passing to white on the vent; under tail-coverts mingled white and ashy.

The Black-capped Blackbird is a permanent resident and occurs on the Sahyadri Range as far north as Khandalla, and is also common at Mount Aboo, where it is particularly abundant during the rains at which season it breeds, but its nest does not appear to have been taken.

The Avifauna of British India and its dependencies - Vol I (1888)

Bourdillon'S Travancore Ouzel (Merula bourdilloni)

375. Merula bourdilloni, Seebohm,

Cat, B, Br. Mm. v. p. 251; pl. xv. Merula Kinnisi, (Blyth) apud. Hume, Str. F. vii. p. 35.-

Bourdillon's Travancore Ouzel.

Head black, rest of upper parts dull black ; under parts very dark brown, with traces of dark slate grey margins to the feathers of the flanks ; below and behind the eye a bare space; bill orange.

Length.- 9.5 t0 9.8; wing 4.7; tad 3.94; culmen 1.1; tarsus 1.32.

Hab.- Travancore, breeding at an elevation of 4,000 feet. According to Mr. Bourdillon it is not uncommon in the dense scrub jungle at the extreme summit of the hills.

The Avifauna of British India and its dependencies - Vol I (1888)

Black-Capped Ouzel (Merula nigropileus)

373. Merula nigropileus, (Lafresnaye)

Delessert, Voy. de l'Inde, pt. ii. p. 27; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus, v. p. 250. Turdus nigropileus, (Lafr) Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 523.-

The Black-capped Ouzel.

Head, nape, lores, cheeks and upper part of ear coverts black ; back, rump, wings and tail dark blackish or fuscous ashy, tinged with brown on the interscapulars ; chin and upper throat darkish brown, shading into dull vinous brown on the breast and into dull slate grey on the axillaries; under wing coverts, belly, flanks and under tail coverts shading into nearly white on the centre of the belly; bill and eyelids orange yellow; legs brownish yellow; irides brown. The female has the head, nape and back an almost uniform brown; the white on the centre of the belly is more developed, and the throat is obscurely streaked with dark brown.

Length.- 9.5, inches; wing 4.5 to 5 ; tail 3.5 to 4 ; culmen 0.98 to 1; tarsus 1.2 to 1.3.

Hab.- Western, Central and Southern India. Found in Coorg, the Wynaad on the Eastern Ghauts, the higher table-lands of Central India, at Bastar and Jaulnah, also in Nellore in the Carnatic, Tellicherry, Matheran, Madras and the Neilgherries. It feeds on insects and berries. It breeds on the mountains of South India, and descends to the plains a little before winter. Jerdon, says Mr. Ward, obtained the nest in Sirci in North Canara, made of roots, grass, &c., with three eggs, pale blue, spotted with brown.

Nests And Eggs of Indian Birds - Vol II (1890)

Bourdillon'S Blackbird (Merula bourdilloni)

Merula bourdilloni, Seebohm.
Bourdillon's Blackbird.

Captain Horace Terry found the nest of this Blackbird on the Pulney Hills. He says : -" I found two nests at Kodikanal in 1883 of what I identified as this bird, and in each case shot one of the parent birds, which I sent to Mr. Hume*. There now seems to be great doubt as to the correctness of this identification, but I send description of nests for what it is worth. The first nest (May 18) was placed in the fork of a tree some fifteen feet from the ground, and was just like the nest of M. simillima. The body of mud, lined with fine grass and the outside with coarse grass and roots wound round it, and covered all over with green moss. A strongly built, rather shallow cup 3.5 inches across and 2 inches deep inside; 5 inches across and 4 inches deep outside. It contained one very slightly incubated egg, just ike the egg of M. simillima. On 3rd June I found a similar nest with two fresh eggs, and shot the male bird."

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 1st Ed. Vol II (1890)

Bourdillon's Blackbird (Merula bourdilloni)

669. Merula bourdilloni.

Bourdillon's Blackbird.

Merula kinnisi (Kelaart), apud Hume, S. F. vii, p. 35; Terry, S. F. x, p. 474. Merula bourdilloni, Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 251, pi. xv (1881) ; Oates in Hume's N. & F. 2nd ed. ii, p. 91.

Coloration. Male. The whole upper plumage deep black; tail black; wings black, the outer webs of the feathers suffused with slaty grey ; the whole lower plumage blackish brown.

Female. The only bird of this sex that I have seen has the whole upper plumage dark brown tinged with olivaceous, the chin and throat whity brown, and the lower plumage fulvous ashy.

In the male the bill, legs, feet, and claws bright orange-red; iris dark brown (Hume Coll.).

Length about 9.5 ; tail 3.6 to 4 ; wing 4.6 to 5 ; tarsus 1.25 ; bill from gape 1.2.

This species, long accepted as M. kinnisi, differs from that species in being larger and in having the upper plumage (in the males) deep black without slaty margins. The legs would also appear to be of a different colour, judging from the recorded colours above. I have not been able to compare females of the two species together.

Distribution. The hills of Southern Travancore, extending north to the Palnis. This species does not appear to be found below 3000 feet.

Habits, &c. Breeds on the Palnis in May and June. The nest and eggs resemble those of M. simillima, but the size of the eggs has not been recorded.

Nests And Eggs of Indian Birds - Vol II (1890)

Ceylon Blackbird (Merula kinnisi)

Merula kinnisi, Blyth.
The Ceylon Blackbird.

Merula kinnisii, Bl., Hume, Cat. no. 360 bis.

Colonel Legge, recording the breeding - habits of this species in Ceylon, writes : -“The Blackbird breeds from April until June, budding in a niche of a trunk, on a stump, or in a forked branch of a low tree; its nest is composed of grass, moss, and roots, strengthened with a few twigs, and is somewhat massive in structure, the interior being a deep cup lined with fine roots, most probably underlaid by a foundation of mud, as in the nests of other species. The eggs are four in number, of a pale green groundcolour, blotched evenly all over with faded reddish - brown and light umber, overlying smaller reddish - grey spots. Dimensions 1.05 by 0.82 inch.

"In the matter of situation, it has, however, a variety of choice, sometimes nesting, according to Mr. Holdsworth, in out - buildings at Nuwara Elliya, and occasionally choosing the site of a rock, as will be seen from the following experience of Mr. Bligh. He writes me : -'I have often found this charming bird's nest; on one occasion it proved to be a strange structure, composed of seven distinct nests, which were fixed among the roots of a bush which grew out of a perpendicular rock above the " Swallow's Cave " at Dambetenne: it contained three young ones. The situation no doubt proving very safe and suitable, induced perhaps the same pair to build successively on the old nests, all of which still presented a fresh green appearance, from the moss not readily drying in such a moist climate. Usually the nest is very like the English Blackbird's, but smaller, and the same may be said of the eggs, except that they are rather rounder. These birds nest regularly near the Catton bungalow ; and directly this important business is over they retire to the higher jungle, assembling in more or less numerous parties. I have seen as many as forty or fifty at the same time, in what might be termed scattered company ; but this is a rare habit, and only to be accounted for by the abundance of favourite food in a particular locality."

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 1st Ed. Vol II (1890)

Ceylon Blackbird (Merula kinnisi)

668. Merula kinnisi.

The Ceylon Blackbird.

Merula kinnisii, Kelaart, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xx, p. 177 (1851); id. Ibis, 1867, p. 304; Hume, Cat, no. 360 bis; Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 252 ; Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 90. Turdus kinnisi (Blyth), Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 449.

Coloration. Male. Upper plumage black, each feather with a bluish-grey margin at all seasons apparently; quills and wing-coverts black, with similar margins ; tail black, the feathers with narrow and less distinct bluish-grey margins; lower plumage slaty brown, each feather with a pale margin.

Female. The small series of this bird in the British Museum appears to consist entirely of males. Legge thus describes the female :—Above dark bluish slate, pervaded with brownish on the head, the margins of all the feathers black ; outer webs of primaries and secondaries washed with brownish slaty ; tail blackish brown; beneath slaty washed with earthy brown, the feathers of the abdomen sometimes with light shaft-streaks; under wing-coverts edged with earthy brown.

In the male the iris is pale brown ; eyelid and bill orange-yellow ; legs and feet paler yellow than the bill; claws yellowish horny. In the female the bill is yellowish orange ; eyelid yellow; legs and feet pale yellow (Legge).

Length about 9.5 ; tail 3.6 to 4; wing 4.3 to 4.5; tarsus 1.3; bill from gape 1.2.

This species differs from M. maxima in being very much smaller and in having yellow feet; from M. simillima in being smaller and blacker; from M. bourdilloni also in being smaller, and in having the feathers of the upper plumage margined with bluish grey; and from M. erythrotis in having the whole head black or brown.

Distribution. A resident in the forests of Ceylon above 2500 feet elevation. Breeds from April to June, constructing a cup-shaped nest in trees, and laying four eggs, which are pale green marked with reddish-brown and umber, and measure about 1.05 by .82.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 1st Ed. Vol II (1890)

Central-Asian Blackbird (Merula maxima)

666. Merula maxima.

The Central-Asian Blackbird.

Merula vulgaris ?, Jerdon, Ibis, 1872, p. 137. Merula vulgaris, Bay, Scully, S. F. iv, p. 139. Merula vulgaris, Leach, Hume, Cat. no. 359 bis. Merula maxima, Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 405 (1881) ; St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. 161.

Coloration. Male. Entirely black throughout.

Female. Upper plumage dark slaty brown with an olive tinge; tail black; wings dark brown, all the feathers edged with olivaceous ; lores dark brown, with a whitish line over them; sides of the head ashy brown, the lower portion of the ear-coverts with white shafts; lower plumage slaty grey, the chin, throat, and breast streaked with blackish; axillaries and under wing-coverts uniform slaty brown.

A young bird procured by Jerdon in Kashmir is black; but the abdomen, vent, thighs, under tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts are barred with buff, and the feathers of the rump and upper tail-coverts are tipped with the same.

The male has the bill yellow, tip of upper mandible blackish ; legs and feet dark brown; claws black (Scully).

The female has the bill brownish black ; legs and feet blackish brown ; claws black. (Scully).

Length about 11; tail 4.8 to 5.15 ; wing 5.4 to 5.9 ; tarsus 1.45 ; bill from gape 1.2. Scully gives the length of the tail of a female bird of this species as 5.6 ; but this is probably a misprint, as the tail of a male, as given by the same author, is only 5.15.

This species differs from its European ally in being much larger, the wing in Merula vulgaris being seldom more than 5 inches and the tail 4.5 inches.

Distribution. I have examined specimens of this Blackbird from Kashmir, Kandahar, Bala Murghab, Tashkend, and Tarkand. It meets M. vulgarism Persia, and both species occur in that country.

Habits, &c. According to Scully, this bird is said not to be uncommon during the winter near Kashgarh and Yarkand. It seemed to keep principally among Eleagnus trees and thorn-bushes in the vicinity of unfrozen bits of water. It migrated northwards in spring. St. John states that it is common about Kandahar.

* M. kessleri, Prjev., was obtained by Mandelli in Tibet (S. F. v, p. 484), not far from the Sikhim frontier. In the male the abdomen and flanks are deep chestnut, in the female dull chestnut-brown; in both sexes the rump is dull rufous, the wings and tail nearly black ; the head and breast in the male are black or dark brown, in the female paler and streaked on the throat. Wing 5.7; tail 4.7.

Nests And Eggs of Indian Birds - Vol II (1890)

Black Capped Blackbird (Merula nigripileus)

Merula nigripileus (Lafr.).
The Black - capped Blackbird.

Merula nigropileus (Lafr.), Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 523; Hume, Cat. no. 369.

Mr. H. Wenden has found many nests of this Blackbird on the Ghats near Khandala. He says : -

"6th July, 1879. Lonauli. Found nest with three young birds in a small euphorbia bush, 4 1/2 feet above ground.

"27th July. Davidson and I found two nests, each with three eggs. One situated in the fork of a horizontal bough about 5 feet from ground, and the other on the point of a pollarded branch 8 feet from ground.

"2nd August. I found another nest with three eggs, 12 feet up in a euphorbia bush. I have found several other nests, some old and others budding. This species seems to be breeding very freely about here (Lonauli, from 1800 to 2400 feet above the sea).

"On 27th July I shot both male and female from a nest, and Davidson and I identified them. The nests are composed of stout twigs and grass, covered externally with much earth and moss. Internally they measure from 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches diameter by 2 deep, neatly lined with fine grass - stems, roots, &c.; the lining of one nest consisted entirely of the spines of casuarina."

Colonel E. A. Butler writes from Aboo : -" It breeds at Aboo in the rains, commencing nidification towards the end of the hot weather, but I was never fortunate enough to find a nest.

"Mr. C. J. W. Taylor, writing from Manzeerabad, Mysore, says : - " Common all over the district. Eggs taken on the 25th May."

The eggs of this species are, typically, moderately broad, very regular ovals, but short broad, more or less pyriform varieties, and, again, considerably elongated oval ones occur. The eggs are always fairly glossy, and some have a fine gloss. The ground - colour varies from greenish white to a delicate pale sea - green, the markings, usually most dense about one or other end, where they often form a more or less regular cap or zone, are a rich brownish red and pale purple, and consist of specks, spots, blotches, and streaks, becoming sometimes quite confluent at one end of the egg, to which iu some eggs they are almost entirely confined, while in others, with the exception of a slight tendency to conglomerate round the large end, they are pretty evenly distributed over the entire surface.

The eggs vary from 1.02 to l.l7 in length, and from 0.78 to 0.88 in breadth ; but the average of 15 eggs is 1.08 by 0.82.

* These birds are now in the British Museum, and Captain Terry has identified them quite correctly. - Ed.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 1st Ed. Vol II (1890)

Black-capped Blackbird (Merula nigripileus)

671. Merula nigripileus.

The Black-capped Blackbird.

Turdus (Merula) nigropileus, Lafresnaye, Delessert, Voy. de l'Inde, pt. ii, p. 27 (1843); Blyth, Cat. p. 162; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 523; Butler, S. F. iii, p. 470; Hume, Cat. no. 359; Vidal, S. F. ix, p. 63; Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 250; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 173; Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 91.

Kasturi, Hind.; Poda palisa, Tel.

Coloration. Male. Forehead, crown, nape, and sides of head black, paling on the lower portion of the ear-coverts ; hind neck, mantle, sides of the neck, and the whole lower plumage brownish grey, infuscated on the throat and suffused with ashy. on the flanks ; the under tail-coverts whitish along the shafts ; lower back, scapulars, rump, the wings, and tail dark ashy; axillaries and under wing-coverts ashy.

Female. Whole upper plumage brown, tinged with ashy on the rump; wings and tail with the outer webs of the feathers suffused with ashy; ear-coverts with pale shafts ; chin and throat dull greyish white, streaked with brown; breast, upper abdomen, and flanks brownish grey; lower abdomen dull whitish; under tail-coverts whitish, broadly edged with ashy brown; axillaries and under wing-coverts brownish grey like the breast.

In the male the legs and feet are dirty straw-colour; iris dark brownish red; bill dirty orange: in the female the legs and feet are dark straw-colour; bill dark orange (Hume).

Length about 10.5; tail 4; wing 5.1; tarsus 1.2; bill from gape 1.2.

The male of this species cannot be confounded with any other Blackbird, but the female resembles the females of the other species somewhat in colour and M. simillima in size. From this latter she may generally be recognized by the whitish abdomen.

Distribution. The western parts of India from the Nilgiris and Mysore up to Mount Abu. This species extends into the interior of the peninsula, and has been recorded from Chikalda, Raipur, and Sambalpur. It appears to be a summer visitor only to the extreme northern portions of its range, but to be resident elsewhere.

Habits, &c. Breeds throughout its limits from May to July, constructing a nest of twigs and grass mixed with earth and moss, and laying three eggs, which are greenish marked with brownish red and purple, and measure about 1.08 by .82.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Bourdillon's Blackbird (Turdus merula bourdilloni)

(568) Turdus merula bourdilloni.

Bourdillon's Blackbird.

Merula bourdilloni Seebohm, Cat. B. M., v, p. 251 (1881) (Travanore); Blanf. & Oates, ii, p. 125. Merula erythrotis. Blanf. & Oates, ii, p. 12C.

Vernacular names. Poda palisa (Tel.).

Description. - Adult male. Differs from the Ceylon Blackbird in having no slate-grey or blue-grey edges to the feathers.

Colours of soft parts. Iris dark brown; bill, legs and feet bright orange-red.

Measurements. Total length about 250 mm.: wing 117 to 124 nam.; tail 90 to 99 mm.; tarsus about 34 mm.; culmen about 22 mm.

Female differs from that of the Ceylon race in being browner above and much paler and browner below, the flanks and abdomen being marked with a very faint lilac tinge.

Colours of soft parts similar to the male but duller.

Measurements. The wings of the females measure from 110 to 124 mm.

Nestling similar to that of kinnisii but not quite so dark. Merula erythrotis of Davison is nothing but a female bourdilloni with some pigment on the head which has turned the cheeks, throat, etc. very red. This pigment, as Grant has shown (Ibis, 1896), is removable with a piece of damp blotting-paper.

Distribution. South-West India from South Travancore to the Palni Hills.

Nidification. Bourdillon says that the breeding-season of this Thrush is from April to June, during which months it nests in the higher hills above 3,500 feet in Travancore and as low down as 3,000 feet in the Palni Hills. The nest is a very massive, deep cup of moss and moss roots lined with mud and sometimes with much mud in the body of the nest. The inner lining is of fine grass and fine roots. In size it is anything from 5 to 8 inches externally both in diameter and depth, whilst the internal measurements are about 4 by 3 inches or rather less.

The eggs seem to number only two or three, judging from the few clutches found but possibly these were not full clutches though on one occasion a single egg was taken partly incubated. They resemble the eggs of Turdus m. simillimus, but are rather more richly and profusely marked. Five eggs sent me by Mr. T. F. Bourdillon measure 27.8-30.l mm. X 20.1-22.9.

Habits quite similar to those of T. m. kinnisii, but more entirely a forest bird and confined to the evergreen forests with ample undergrowth. It is not a rare bird but though its fine song may often be heard throughout the breeding-season it is very shy and is seldom seen.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Ceylon Blackbird (Turdus merula kinnisii)

(567) Turdus merula kinnisii.

The Ceylon Blackbird.

Merula Kinnisii Blyth, J. A. S.B , xx, p. 177 (1851) (Ceylon). Merula kinnisi. Blanf. & Oates, ii, p. 124.

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Whole upper plumage, wings and tail black with distinct, broad blue-grey margins ; lower plumage brown, suffused with slaty and less broadly margined with paler brown.

Colours of soft parts. Iris pale brown to dark brown; eyelids and bill orange-yellow; legs and feet lemon-yellow to yellow-ochre.

Measurements. Total length about 240 mm.; wing 107 to 113 mm.; tail 85 to 93 mm.; tarsus about 33 mm.; culmen about 22 mm.

Female. Above dark brown, suffused with slaty on the mantle and margins of wings; below brown, palest on the abdomen, less strongly marked with purplish slaty and sometimes faintly showing pale shafts in the feathers of the posterior flanks and abdomen.

Colours of soft parts as in the male but paler and duller.

Measurements. Wing 104 mm.; tail 78 mm.; tarsus 32 mm.

Nestling. Above rich dark brown, feathers of mantle with pale shafts and those of back and coverts with dark edges ; below rich fulvous, the centre of the chin and throat immaculate, the remainder with lighter shafts and broad dark brown edges.

Distribution. Ceylon only ; above 2,500 feet.

Nidification. The Ceylon Blackbird appears to breed in April, May and June, making a cup-shaped nest of moss, leaves, roots and grass, matted together internally and lined with mud, inside which is a further lining of fine moss. According to Legge and his correspondents it may be placed in almost any position - outhouse, a bush in a garden or in cultivated ground, or well inside dense forest in some small tree or sapling. Legge gives the normal full clutch of eggs as four and says they are like those of the English Blackbird. Eggs taken by Captain Aldworth on the Bopat Range in April and May are like those of the Nilgiri Blackbird but rather more richly coloured, certainly they are not like those of an English Blackbird. They measure about 23.8 x 20.9 mm. and are short broad ovals in shape.

Habits. The Ceylon Blackbird is found from about 2,500 feet to the tops of the highest ranges. It has been found feeding on grains of rice left by pilgrims on the summit of Adam's Peak; it is very common on the Horton Plains and again at Nuwara Eliya. It is said to be a shy bird, keeping much to dense forest with ample undergrowth, feeding both on the ground and on the tops of the highest trees. It is a fine songster, the song being like that of its English relative but softer and lower. "When singing it comes often into the more open parts and edges of the forest, especially in the mornings and evenings, when it sings most regularly.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Central Asian- Blackbird (Turdus merula maximus)

(565) Turdus merula maximus.

The Central Asian- Blackbird.

Merula maxima Seebohm, Cat. B. M., v, p. 405 (1881) (Kashmir, restricted to Gulmerg, Jerdon, Ibis, 1872, p. 137); Blanf. & Oates, ii, p. 123.

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. - Adult male- All black, in fresh plumage deep and glossy but rather brownish in old bleached plumage, especially below.

Colours of soft parts. 64 Iris dark brown ; bill dull yellow, tip and narial region dusky; legs and feet very dark brown" (C. H. T. Whitehead).

Measurements. Total length about 280 nun.; wing 150 to 157 mm.; tail 107 to 120 mm.; tarsus 38 mm.; culmen 20 mm. Hartert gives the wing as up to 160 mm. in the male.

Female. Dark brown, the feathers of the upper part tinged with slaty but not distinctly greyish as in some races ; the throat is concolorous with the breast in the fully adult bird.

Colours of soft parts and Measurements similar to male but the bill is much duller.

Nestling. Dark brown, the mantle streaked and the lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts barred with fulvous; centre of chin and throat mottled rufous and black; breast, head and sides of neck blackish; lower breast, abdomen and flanks barred rufous, fulvous and dark brown.

Distribution. The only Indian birds in the British Museum are the type, a young male, and another bird from Kashmir; the series obtained by Captain C. H. T. Whitehead on the N.B. Frontier, two specimens obtained by the Mount Everest Expedition and one from Bhutan. It is also found in North and North-West Kashmir, whence it extends into the highest ranges of Garhwal, and Mr. S. L. Whymper found it in the Niti Valley in Kumaon.

Nidification. Mr. Whymper first found this bird breeding in some numbers on the Garhwal Hills at an elevation between 13,000 and 14,000 feet in the Nila Valley. Col. Buchanan took its nest in Kashmir at Apharwat, over 14,000 feet and just under the snow line, and finally Capt. C. H. T. Whitehead found several nests in the Kohat and Kurram country at 11,000 feet upwards. The nest is described as a bulky cup of moss and grass, lined with mud and with an inner lining of grass. It is sometimes placed in a tree such as an ilex or Cyprus, sometimes on a bank or ledge of rock or in a hole in a cliff. The eggs number three or four and are just like large specimens of the English Blackbird's. They measure 31.2-34.5 x 24.2-22.l mm. The breeding-season seems to be June and July but some birds are very early breeders for Whymper saw young: birds from which he calculated the eggs must have been laid by the 5th of May, when the whole valley was deep in snow and quite inaccessible. The male bird sometimes breeds in immature plumage.

Habits. The Central Asian Blackbird should, perhaps, more properly be called the Himalayan Blackbird, for its range outside these mountains is not known with any certainty. It is doubtful if it is migratory in the true sense of the word, probably only changing its elevation with the seasons and never descending far into the plains or low hills. In Summer it is found up to 17,000 feet, well above the snow line, and it is said to be a wild, wary bird, generally going about singly or in pairs, less often in small parties of three or four. Its flight is similar to that of other Blackbirds but very powerful and swift. Whitehead, who found it fairly common near Hazara above 12,000 feet, says he never heard it utter the wild alarm note of the English Blackbird but only the "low chuckle characteristic of the genus." He adds that it was "usually found feeding on small white caterpillars, which were very common on the grassy slopes, or amongst rocks and sometimes in Juniper scrub."

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol II (1924)

Black-capped Blackbird (Turdus merula nigropileus)

(569) Turdus merula nigropileus.

The Black-capped Blackbird.

Turdus nigropileus Lafres., Deless., Voy. de l'lnde, pt. ii, p. 27 (1843) (India i now restricted to Ootacamund, Nilgnis). Merula nigropileus. Blanf. & Oates, ii, p. 126.

Vernacular names. Kasturi (Hind.) : Poda palisa (Tel.).

Description. - Adult male. Forehead to nape and sides of head black; hind neck, interscapulars, sides of neck and whole lower plumage, brownish grey, more rusty on the breast and more grey on the flanks and the centre of the abdomen albescent; remainder of upper parts, wings and tail dark ashy, the tail darker and browner than the back.

Colours of soft parts. Iris reddish brown to dark brown; bill dull pale orange to orange-yellow ; legs and feet dull pale yellow to lemon-yellow.

Measurements. Total length about 260 mm.; wing 126 to 132 mm.; tail 86 to 95 mm.; tarsus 33 mm.; culmen 22 mm.

Female. Whole upper plumage ashy brown, the cap slightly darker and browner, the rump greyer; ear-coverts pale-shafted; chin aud throat grey, streaked with brown.

Colours of soft parts as in the male but darker and duller.

Measurements. Wing 122 to 130 mm.; tail 92 mm. Young male like the female but more heavily streaked on chin and throat.

Distribution. Western India, North of the range of the last bird, i. e. North of Mysore and the Nilgiris, through the South Bombay Presidency as far North as Mount Abu and to Sambulpur and Raipur in the Central Provinces. A specimen from Travancore in the British Museum seems to be this bird though labelled unicolor.

Nidification. The Black-capped Blackbird breeds throughout the hills and broken country of the Southern and central parts ot its range from June to September between the toot-hills and 3,000 or 4,000 feet. In the extreme North and East it is probably only a non-breeding visitor during the Winter. The nest is the usual mud and moss nest with a grass lining built by all these Thrushes but has less moss and more twigs and grass used in its construction. It is generally placed in a tall bush or sapling, sometimes in a comparatively low bush, on the outskirts of: forest. It may occasionally be found in open country and, even less often, well inside forests.

The eggs number three to five, and fifty eggs average 27.4 x 20.9 mm., the extremes being: maxima 29.4 x 22.1 mm. and minima 24.8 X 20.0 mm.

It is worthy of note that our Southern Indian species of Turdus which are so closely allied to the European Blackbird, all lay eggs nearer those of the Song-Thrush in colour, whereas our Northern Thrushes reverse the process and lay eggs more like those of the Blackbird.

Habits. The Black-capped Blackbird is a rather more familiar bird in its habits than either of the last two races; it inhabits both the lighter forests and open country and may even be found in the surroundings of villages and in gardens. In the Winter it wanders well into the plains but shortly before the rains break, in May, it moves into the more broken ground and ascends the hills to some 5,000 or 6,000 feet. It is a fine songster.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Turdus merula

Turdus merula Linn.

(Turdus merula Linn., Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 170, Jan. 1758; Sweden, Europe.)

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Turdus merula bourdilloni

Turdus merula bourdilloni Seebohm.

Merula bourdilloni Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. v, p. 251, pl. xv, 1881: Travancore.

Merula erythrotis Davison, Ibis, 1886, p. 205.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Turdus merula kinnisii

Turdus merula kinnisii Blyth.

Merula kinnisii Blyth, J. A. S. B., vol. xx, p. 177, 1851: Ceylon.

Merula kandiana Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. Asiat. Soc, App., note, p. xxvi, 1852; error only for above, ex Kelaart MS.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Turdus merula maximus

Turdus merula maximus Seebohm.

Merula maxima Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. v. p. 405, 1881: Kashmir.

Tudus merula buddae Meinertzhagen, Bull. B. O. C, vol. xvi, p. 98, 1926: Gyantze, Tibet.

The species marked with an asterisk all have the same basis, i.e., Latham's Long-tailed Thrush, Synopsis, vol. ii, pt. i, p. 96, 1786.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VII (1930)

Turdus merula nigropileus

Turdus merula nigropileus Lafresnaye.

Turdus (e, g. Merula) nigropileus Lafresnaye, Revue Zool., Mch.-Apl. 1840, p. 65 : Neilgheries.

The Fauna Of British India including Ceylon and Burma 2nd Ed. Vol VIII (1930)

Turdus merula nigropileus.

P. 128

(569) Turdus merula nigropileus.

The reference should be Turdus nigropileus Lafresnaye, Revue Zool., p. 65, 1840: Nilgiris.

Museum Collections

Number of Museum Specimen Records Found : 31 for Turdus merula

No.	Museum	Species	Collection Deatils	Collector	Date of Collection	Record	Locality	GBIF Portal Link
1	Field Museum	Turdus merula nigropileus	FMNH Birds 305644			Specimen	Bulger Malabar Kerala India Southern Asia	Link
2	Field Museum	Turdus merula nigropileus	FMNH Birds 305645			Specimen	Malabar Kerala India Southern Asia	Link
3	Field Museum	Turdus merula nigropileus	FMNH Birds 19476			Specimen	Mahbleshwar, 100 mi from Sirur India Southern Asia	Link
4	Field Museum	Turdus merula nigropileus	FMNH Birds 19477			Specimen	Mahbleshwar, 100 mi from Sirur India Southern Asia	Link
5	Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates	Turdus merula	CU CUMV-Bird 14008		1878-04-14 00:00:00.0	Specimen	unspecified India Southern Asia	Link
6	Field Museum	Turdus merula nigropileus	FMNH Birds 66562		1878-04-20 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Khandala Hills Bombay India Southern Asia	Link
7	Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates	Turdus merula	CU CUMV-Bird 14031		1901-09-18 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Ootacamund Tamil Nadu India Southern Asia	Link
8	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula maximus	UMMZ Bird 182283	Koelz, Walter N	1936-08-07 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Burzil Pass Kashmir India Southern Asia	Link
9	Field Museum	Turdus merula maximus	FMNH Birds 237725		1936-08-22 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Shigar Nulla Baltistan Kashmir Pakistan Southern Asia	Link
10	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182279	Koelz, Walter N	1937-01-24 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Mahendra Madras Presidency India Southern Asia	Link
11	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182280	Koelz, Walter N	1937-03-04 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Nilambur Kerala India Southern Asia	Link
12	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182275	Koelz, Walter N	1938-01-11 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
13	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182276	Koelz, Walter N	1938-01-11 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
14	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 98312	Koelz, Walter N	1938-01-16 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
15	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182278	Koelz, Walter N	1938-01-23 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
16	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182277	Koelz, Walter N	1938-01-25 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
17	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182270	Koelz, Walter N	1938-02-01 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
18	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182271	Koelz, Walter N	1938-02-01 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
19	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182272	Koelz, Walter N	1938-02-09 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
20	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182273	Koelz, Walter N	1938-02-14 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
21	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182274	Koelz, Walter N	1938-02-16 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Londa Karnataka India Southern Asia	Link
22	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula	UMMZ Bird 182267	Koelz, Walter N	1940-07-31 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Belwami-Kisli Central Provinces India Southern Asia	Link
23	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182268	Koelz, Walter N	1946-08-04 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Belwami-Kisli Central Provinces India Southern Asia	Link
24	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182269	Koelz, Walter N	1946-09-27 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Belwami-Kisli Central Provinces India Southern Asia	Link
25	Yale University Peabody Museum	Turdus merula nigropileus	YPM ORN ORN.009724	S. D. Ripley	1947-03-15 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Madras State India Southern Asia	Link
26	Yale University Peabody Museum	Turdus merula nigropileus	YPM ORN ORN.009723	S. D. Ripley	1947-05-25 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Khandala Satara North District Maharashtra state India Southern Asia	Link
27	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182281	Koelz, Walter N	1949-02-07 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Sasan Junagadh [Gujarat] India Southern Asia	Link
28	University of Michigan Museum of Zoology	Turdus merula nigropileus	UMMZ Bird 182282	Koelz, Walter N	1949-02-10 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Jamwala Junagaoh [Gujarat] India Southern Asia	Link
29	Yale University Peabody Museum	Turdus merula bourdilloni	YPM ORN ORN.024542	N. G. Pillai	1952-01-22 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Travancore India Southern Asia	Link
30	Yale University Peabody Museum	Turdus merula bourdilloni	YPM ORN ORN.024540	N. G. Pillai	1952-01-23 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Travancore India Southern Asia	Link
31	Yale University Peabody Museum	Turdus merula bourdilloni	YPM ORN ORN.024541	N. G. Pillai	1952-01-27 00:00:00.0	Specimen	Travancore India Southern Asia	Link

Biodiversity occurrence data provided by: (Accessed through GBIF Data Portal, 2009-08-06)

Data Providers

Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates ( 2 Records )

Field Museum ( 6 Records )

University of Michigan Museum of Zoology ( 18 Records )

Yale University Peabody Museum ( 5 Records )

Sound/Call

82 calls found for Turdus merula

Remarks:
Call Type: alarm (C)

Remarks: contact calls of two day old chicks from underneath their mother, just barelely audible but they refused to get any louder
Call Type: contact calls of chicks (C)

Remarks: Alarm calls from male in hedge near marsh.
Call Type: calls (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: Song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula. 2 birds
Call Type: alarm (no score)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: contact call of female in the recording before
Call Type: contact call female (no score)

Remarks: Ssp: intermedius.
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: cabrerae. Full song of male.
Call Type: Song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: Song (A)

Remarks: Song directed to the female (loud contact call in background) 1m distance to her. Probably moment of bounding in pare.
Call Type: song to female (no score)

Remarks: Ssp: merula. Song of a male, then alarm calls of other blackbirds mobbing a Tawny Owl which is heard in the distance at 1:00.
Call Type: song and alarm calls (A)

Remarks: calls of two juveniles
Call Type: calls of juveniles (A)

Remarks: boxing training in the back(!)
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: boxing training in the back(!)
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks: singing at the edge of the lake
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: intermedius.
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (no score)

Remarks: Subsong or early spring song
Call Type: Subsong (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks: Some seconds snipped (cut at 0.01)
Call Type: trill call (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: alarm calls (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: call (C)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: alarm calls of a bird flying past (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: alarm call (A)

Remarks: Tape ref. 1A 370
Call Type: call (A)

Remarks: Ssp: aterrimus. Noise from Kennels in background
Call Type: soft contact notes and predator alarm call (C)

Remarks:
Call Type: trill calls perched and in flight (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: trill calls in flight (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula. A female, one of a pair which regularly visit my shed at work to feed on crumbs.
Call Type: wing sound and soft calls (B)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: trill call (A)

Remarks: Tape ref. A_17-43
Call Type: alarm (A)

Remarks: Tape ref. B_453-473
Call Type: call (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: alarm (A)

Remarks: Blackbird alarmed in response to singing Scops Owl.
Call Type: alarm calls,scolding (B)

Remarks: Bird makes this call during breeding season which falls between Mar to Sept. To give call bird selects elevated place.
Call Type: Breeing (A)

Remarks: Ssp: aterrimus.
Call Type: alarm calls (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: alarm (B)

Remarks: Ssp: maximus.
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: alarm calls before roosting (B)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: 'pok' call (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: Alarm call (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: call of male (B)

Remarks: Ssp: ?. Presumed to be stopped off migrants
Call Type: 2 call types (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula. Calls of a bird prior to roosting
Call Type: alarm calls (A)

Remarks: Ssp: kinnissi.
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula. Prior to roosting
Call Type: Alarm calls (A)

Remarks: Tape ref. B_492-507
Call Type: scold of female (A)

Remarks: evening thrill by male
Call Type: thrill (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks: Several birds
Call Type: alarm calls (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: Song (B)

Remarks: Ssp: merula. bird seen
Call Type: evening song of a male (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: alarmcall (C)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: Song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Male singing in oak-hornbeam wood (non synantropic bird).
Call Type: song of male (B)

Remarks: Cow coughing in background
Call Type: alarm calls at roost (A)

Remarks: Singing from urban suburban rooftop
Call Type: Male song (C)

Remarks: Tape ref. A_100-112
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: Song (A)

Remarks: Party of blackbirds Turdus merula preparing for roosting
Call Type: calls (A)

Remarks: Ssp: aterrimus.
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula. Singing from urban rooftops at dawn
Call Type: Male song (B)

Remarks: evening thrill by female
Call Type: thrill (A)

Remarks: Male singing in tree during sunny weather. Recorded from balcony along street, with passing cars in the background.
Call Type: song (B)

Remarks: Ssp: mauretanicus.
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: song of male in urban area
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ref. tape CLVI A 110-130
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Ssp: merula.
Call Type: Song of a male (no score)

Remarks: Note how the bird change his song after 01.10
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks:
Call Type: song (A)

Remarks: Tape ref. 1B 134-161
Call Type: song (A)

The Bird Calls are embedded through xeno-canto.org See Terms of Use xeno-canto.org

Links

Cite this website along with its URL as:
Anonymous. 2013 Turdus merula - Linnaeus, 1758 (Eurasian Blackbird ) in Deomurari, A.N. (Compiler), 2010. AVIS-IBIS (Avian Information System - Indian BioDiversity Information System) v. 1.0. Foundation For Ecological Security, India retrieved on 05/19/2013

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