blackbird with black beak? (1 Viewer)

[Jon1977]

Hi,
I snapped this pair flying off across heathland in the new forest today. I thought initially it was male and female blackbird, but on closer look the blackbird doesn't have a yellow beak.

any thoughts appreciated. thanks.

 

[Ratal]

Juveniles don't have yellow beaks.

Are you sure those two birds are even black birds though?

 

[ApusApus]

Top one in particular looks more like a Mistle Thrush.


Shane

 

[lou salomon]

i see an adult and a juvenile starling.

 

[Nutcracker]

Ditto to adult & juv Starling

 

[Boro Birder]

We had a influx of Scandanavian Blackbirds last winter, which I believe have black beaks, that is what I was told by other birders on my local bird club sightings page and still quite a few around here in the North East.
Also must agree those in the photo definitely look like starlings.

Damian

 

[Nutcracker]

We had a influx of Scandanavian Blackbirds last winter, which I believe have black beaks, that is what I was told by other birders on my local bird club sightings page and still quite a few around here in the North East.

Damian

'Fraid you were told wrong; all male Blackbirds (including UK birds) have dark beaks when young, and all adult males (including Scandinavian birds) have yellow beaks :t:

 

[ApusApus]

i see an adult and a juvenile starling.

I think you're right Lou ........... I couldn't make the lower bird into an MT but couldn't think of anything else either!


Shane

 

[rosbifs]

Starlings they are.

Blackbirds have dark beaks in winter though....

 

[Nutcracker]

Starlings they are.

Blackbirds have dark beaks in winter though....

Only first-winters :t: adult males have yellow bills, adult females brownish-yellow, all year

 

[Boro Birder]

'Fraid you were told wrong; all male Blackbirds (including UK birds) have dark beaks when young, and all adult males (including Scandinavian birds) have yellow beaks :t:

Well you learn something new everyday, and I was told that by expereinced birders and more importantly ringers who had found them in there mist nets, confused to say the least.

Damian.

 

[Nutcracker]

"and more importantly ringers" . . . tell them to refer to their Svenssons

 

[LowellMills]

Agree with Nutcracker on the ringers thing. As a ringer myself I feel unprejudiced to say I'm sick of hearing of made-up inferences of age, sex and geographic origin just because the bird is in the hand. The 'Scandi Blackbirds have black bills' myth is widely believed (and dropped into conversation by birders and ringers forgetting there's no peer-reviewed source on the matter) but was busted to my satisfaction last autumn when a British ringer posted a photo of a re-trapped Blackbird with a black bill. It was originally ringed 'just up the road' as a juvenile. Before that, I believed it too, and am ashamed I didn't check my sources.

As for whether only first winter males have black bills, I'm more inclined to believe that, but individual differences in rate of colour change are likely to occur as with many developments.

Finally, yes those birds pictured are adult and juv Starling for me.

 

[Boro Birder]

Agree with Nutcracker on the ringers thing. As a ringer myself I feel unprejudiced to say I'm sick of hearing of made-up inferences of age, sex and geographic origin just because the bird is in the hand. The 'Scandi Blackbirds have black bills' myth is widely believed (and dropped into conversation by birders and ringers forgetting there's no peer-reviewed source on the matter) but was busted to my satisfaction last autumn when a British ringer posted a photo of a re-trapped Blackbird with a black bill. It was originally ringed 'just up the road' as a juvenile. Before that, I believed it too, and am ashamed I didn't check my sources.

As for whether only first winter males have black bills, I'm more inclined to believe that, but individual differences in rate of colour change are likely to occur as with many developments.

Finally, yes those birds pictured are adult and juv Starling for me.

Thanks for that information, I myself are waiting for a place to come available with my local ringer to train me, started nest recording a couple of years back and feel a lot of data is wasted on the nests I find and record due to the fact I cannot ring the pulli, however another nest recorder I know does have his ringers licence and has rung a couple of birds for me, sorry for trailing from the above topic.

Damian.

 

[Nutcracker]

As for whether only first winter males have black bills, I'm more inclined to believe that, but individual differences in rate of colour change are likely to occur as with many developments.

From Svensson ( ), bill progressively becomes yellow from Dec-Jan, but sometimes still partly dark as late as April on a few 1st summer males.