Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range and the population size is extremely large, hence does not approach threatened thresholds for the range or population size criteria. The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 116,000,000-176,000,000 mature individuals, with 58,100,000-88,000,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 80% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 145,000,000-220,000,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. The species' population in Europe is considered to have undergone a moderate increase over three generations (13.92 years) (BirdLife International 2021). As this region holds the vast majority of the species' global range, the global population size is considered to be increasing over three generations.
Trend justification
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This species inhabits a very wide range of habitats. Its main and original habitat is relatively open broadleaf, coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests but it is also found in tree plantations, orchards, farmland, gardens and parks and commonly in open grassy areas so long as vegetation cover is within a short distance. In Europe it breeds from mid-March to early September, from March to July in most of North Africa, from the end of February to the end of July in Israel, April-July in Afghanistan and March-July in China. The nest is a large cup of dry grass stems and small twigs, packed with mud and lined with fine grass and stems. It is generally sited 0·5–15 m off the ground in a bush or tree or in a climbing plant against a wall, and frequently in or on a wall, outside or inside a building. It is a highly flexible and adaptive forager and feeds principally on invertebrates, mainly earthworms and insects and their larvae but will also take fruits and seeds and, occasionally, small vertebrates. The species is sedentary, partially migratory and fully migratory, depending mainly on latitude (Collar 2015).
Declines in Britain may be owing to agricultural intensification, as decreases are greater on farmland. In the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain, hunting may explain its scarcity, and in the Netherlands declines are possibly a result of lower breeding success. In the western Palearctic other threats include predators, disturbance, adverse weather conditions, nest collapse and starvation (Collar 2015).
Conservation Actions Underway
EU Birds Directive Annex II. There are currently no known conservation measures for this species within its European range.
Conservation Actions Proposed
The promotion and maintenance of low-intensity farming has been proposed to benefit the species within Europe.
Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A., Martin, R.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/eurasian-blackbird-turdus-merula on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.