The Colour Of A Female Blackbirds Bill? (1 Viewer)

[bethan.nature18]

I often see female blackbirds in my garden, and there is always one thing that confuses me. Some of them have yellow bills, like the males, and some have black bills. Does this mean anything about there age, nationality etc.?

 

[Keith Dickinson]

At this time of year a rough rule of thumb is that the birds with the darker bills are juvenile birds of either sex, whilst the birds with the yellower bills will be adult females.

 

[theconstantwalker]

Your birds are juveniles the colour has yet to develope.

 

[Nature__lover]

ah, finally I know ! I've wondered why too. good question.

 

[mary99]

THanks for asking that Bethan it had been confusing me too!

Mary

PS thanks for the knowledgeable replies Keith and Andrew

 

[bethan.nature18]

Thank you for your help! Now I know the difference.

 

[yew]

This post has helped me too but another question is during the bad snow I had one female blackbird with a very noticeable yellow ring around the eyes. It puzzled me and I also had another puzzling bird with a very reddish throat and grey mottling below which seemed more like a Thrush than blackbird but could be wrong of course and odd colouring possible. I enclose a poor photo but it wasnt just the reddy colouring all down chest the beak and neck also seemed finer and different but perhaps juvenile.

 

[jpscloud]

This post has helped me too but another question is during the bad snow I had one female blackbird with a very noticeable yellow ring around the eyes. It puzzled me and I also had another puzzling bird with a very reddish throat and grey mottling below which seemed more like a Thrush than blackbird but could be wrong of course and odd colouring possible. I enclose a poor photo but it wasnt just the reddy colouring all down chest the beak and neck also seemed finer and different but perhaps juvenile.

Glad you posted that pic Dolce - I've got a couple of birds just like that - they seem bigger than adult blackbirds too, at least "mine" do. I heard on another thread that female blackbirds can vary a lot in colour but the size was confusing me a bit.

 

[yew]

Glad you posted that pic Dolce - I've got a couple of birds just like that - they seem bigger than adult blackbirds too, at least "mine" do.

Yes I think some blackbirds are very large and sturdy compared to others and here are some more photos of this one puzzling me with so much noticeable red on it and lower belly is grey.......... Everytime I see him I wonder what is that bird and then I end up deciding it probably is a very reddy female blackbird ...........but it really stands out everytime.
One of my lovey male Bramblings is in the first photo too .........