Innes Sim, Conservation Scientist, RSPB Centre for Conservation Science brings us the remarkable tale of the super-ouzel…

Since summer 1998 we have been studying the breeding ecology of ring ouzels, often known as ‘mountain blackbirds’, in Glen Clunie, Aberdeenshire.

This involves counting the number of breeding pairs and monitoring their breeding success and survival. We measure their survival by individually colour-ringing nestlings and adults, aiming to re-sight them in subsequent years. This study, continuing to the present day, has provided intriguing insights into the key stages in the ouzel’s life-history.

The super-ouzel. Image by Innes Sim.

The super-ouzel himself. Image by Innes Sim.

What the study shows…

To cut a long story short, it looks like survival, especially of 1st year birds, has a major influence on the ring ouzel population trend. When 1st year survival is high the population increases, but breeding numbers decrease when 1st year survival is low.

The super-ouzel

During summer 2018, we returned to the glen for the 21st consecutive year. We were keen to discover if one very special ouzel, aka super-ouzel, had returned to breed.

He was originally ringed as a chick way back in June 2008, and when he returned in 2016, became the UK’s longest-lived ring ouzel ever, at eight years of age. He was back again in 2017 to further extend his new longevity record, but would he return for the 10th consecutive year in 2018?

Of course he did!

This year, his nest was about 400m from where he bred in 2017. And he was successful in rearing another four chicks at his first nest (ouzels frequently make two breeding attempts in a year).

How many chicks?

In fact, his breeding success is quite remarkable for a species which usually nests on or close to the ground, and is therefore vulnerable to high nest failure rates.

One of the super-ouzel's great granddaughters. Image by Innes Sim.

One of the super-ouzel's great granddaughters. Image by Innes Sim.

In the 10 years that we’ve been observing him, super-ouzel has made at least 16 breeding attempts, all of which have been successful – rearing an incredible 58 chicks!

From the colour-ringing, which allows us to identify individual birds, we also know that he has been mated to at least six different females during his 10 years of breeding. So, it seems, he is very attractive to the opposite sex!

Where does he go in winter?

We think that most of our ouzels spend their winters in Morocco and, assuming that’s where super-ouzel also goes, he may well have travelled around 44,000 miles during his lifetime. This means he has avoided all the perils of migration, including being blown off course, failing to fine suitable resting and feeding areas, being predated by various raptors and being shot by hunters during 20 spring and autumn migrations.

This makes him one very special bird, and we hope to see him return for the 11th consecutive year in 2019!