I know there are countless factors to consider, but what is the average lifespan of a male blackbird in the wild? My garden resident blackbird will be 6 years old this summer at the very youngest - I have photographic evidence of him being a fully grown adult in summer 2005, which means he was born in 2004 at the earliest (I know it's him because he has some very distinctive white feathers on his head) - he may have been around before that but that's when I got my camera, so no evidence from before then (and my memory isn't that good!).
I was just curious as to whether he's doing well, age-wise?
Here he is in a picture from a couple of years ago, he always looks scruffy but I love him :)
The average is around 3 years so he is doing pretty well for himself!
Millie & Fly the Border Collies
Anna, he's lovely. I adore scruffy looking birds. You must really be looking after him very well. Well done!
Cheers, Linda.
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That was an interesting question, I too have a well recognised Blackie that has been around for years. It must be what we feed them Anna
Of all creatures, man is the most detestable, he is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. ~ Mark Twain
You have obviously been feeding hime well and providing for his every need. It is surprising how many blackbirds have some white on them
Keep it up
Sarah
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
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the one that spends lots of time in our garden will be 4 this year as far as we know. He now takes food from OH, from turkey on boxing day to nibbling at fruit pellets. I know we shouldn't but he just sits on the back door step about half seven in the morning - waiting, Will try for a photo tomorrow
All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy. Spike Milligan
Hi Anna
Not sure I can answer your question properly but we had a pair of blackbirds who for at least 5 years nested in our garden and successfully raised 2 or 3 broods a year. Like yours, they had distinctive markings so you couldn't miss them.
Interesting to note, I have an old birding book written by Tony Soper who has given an account of different species with exceptional ages of survival and the blackbird was top at 14 years!!!!
Regards
Kerry
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According to an RSPB book of mine, it says up to 5 years for a Blackbird. But when their every need is catered for who's to say :o)
He's a lovely looking Blackbird though, I bet he's a character! We have a patchy one too and at the top of the street there's on with one white tail feather.
Average life expectancy for a Blackbird in the wild is about 2.5 years. The record is 20 years though.
Every day a little more irate about bird of prey persecution, and I have a cat - Got a problem with that?
Hi Annabanana, I have just recieved my rspb welcome pack, and in it is the handbook of British birds it's the second edition, and in this book it says, the oldest Blackbird survived over 20 years, so you could have him for a long while yet.
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A lot of it depends on what you call life expectancy for a bird. Only just over a half of all fledglings survive to breeding age, but those that do, will see their average annual survival chances increase to anything up to 70%. A bit of number crunching will give the total life expectancy of those individuals that reach adulthood to be around 3.5 years. Life expectancy for an average fledgling will be a lot lower than that. The oldest verified record of a blackbird I have found in literature is 21 years 10 months.