Common Blackbirds
Common Blackbird (male)
Common Blackbirds are an introduced species in Australia. Their range here is south of a line from Sydney in NSW to Port Lincoln in South Australia and they are found throughout South Eastern Australia, including large parts of Victoria and Tasmania. They are particularly found in parks and gardens where they enjoy scratching around in the leaf litter and mulch for their food. Many gardeners despise the Common Blackbird for their untidy habit of flicking bark, leaves, mulch and sticks on to their nice neat garden paths.
Beautiful Songbird
The Blackbird may be an introduced species, it may have untidy eating habits but this is more than made up for by its beautiful song. There are few birds in Australia that can match the song of a Blackbird singing in the late winter or spring evenings. It fills the air with a rich melodic harmony.
Breeding
We didn’t have any resident Blackbirds in our garden here on the outskirts of Murray Bridge South Australia until a few years ago. The occasional visitor, yes, but not resident. Now they have moved in and have started breeding. Several times they have used an unusual nesting spot. They fly into a shed in my wife’s nursery through a small gap above the door. They then proceed to make a bowl shaped nest in one of the many empty plant pots we store in the shed. How lovely and cosy - out of the cold, the wind and the rain.
Common Blackbird (female)
Photos
Despite them now being resident I find that “our” blackbirds are quite timid and are rather camera shy. It was with great delight that today I have been able to take some close up shots of both the male and the female (she is a dull brown colour) fossicking for beetles and worms just outside our sunroom window. This makes a perfect bird hide for photography.
UPDATE:
- This article has created quite a deal of interest. Read the comments section below for the experiences of other people with Blackbirds.
- Related articles: Do Blackbirds Swoop? An article about aggressive bird behaviour with many interesting comments and observations from readers of this blog.
- For more articles about Blackbirds nesting read
- “Anyone for a Swim? Forget it Baby Blackbird”
- “Hear the Blackbird singing in the morning”
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Thanks for all that information Michael.
hi there,
i have come home today to find the remains of blackbirds chicks in my garden, i have watched them from when they were eggs to chicks so i was very upset when i came home to find a crow in my garden eating all of the dried worms i had put out intentionally for the blackbird. did i attract the predators? i feel awful the mother blackbird came back flew into nest and realised her chicks had been killed and flew away. There is now a robin who has now been using her nest i have not seen eggs in there yet. My question is will the blackbird return.
Charlene,
Blackbirds are very territorial, I am sure they will stay in the area. Our St George (Qld) pair have been very persistant in trying to raise a family this summer, but cats, a resident breeding pair of crows (whose conversations with each other are wonderful to listen to - they sound quite caring towards each other at times), not to mention butcher birds and currajongs have put paid to any success.
The pair are still around digging up the mulch, I will not be planting any bulbs for spring(G)
Dorothy
Thanks for visiting Charlene, and for answering the question Dorothy.
Crows and ravens are very clever and cunning and would possibly have discovered the chicks anyway. This is the natural cycle of life in the wild; one species’ loss is another species’ gain. That’s tough from a humanitarian point of view, but their survival depends on eating - often that means the young of another species will be the victim. It happens more than we would like to know.
THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY it is what you say ‘the circle of life’ but its not nice when it Happens in your garden. i hope they will return and nest agin next year.
i have a breeding pair nesting in my garden hedge and for a day or two i noticed that she wasnt coming, is this normal?
where do baby blackbirds go when they are not in there nest.Or when someone has touched them when they are newly hatched.
the other day my mates mother touched a baby blackbird on the head and now the blackbirds have dissapeared.why have thay gone?also i found that the nest was tillted on its side!is this normal?
there has been 5 litle cluchings in my garden bush and she has not been sitting on them for 2 days. what will happen, will she come back or leave them there to die. i really want to help them but i think its to late. can they die in there shell?
Hi there Natalie, welcome to my birding blog. Sorry for the delay in replying - I’ve been very busy, and also away for a few days.
Baby birds are often taken by predators. This can include other birds like hawks, owls, magpies and crows (as well as many other species) or by cats or even snakes and lizards, depending on where you live. This is part of the web of life - one bird’s death means the survival of another creature.
If a person has gone to the nest with babies in it, this can accidentally show predators (like a cat) where the nest is hidden. Observe nests from a distance is good advice.
Hi there Chris,
Welcome to my blog about Australian birds.
I have already answered your questions in my reply to Natalie above.
Hi there Amber. Sorry about the delay in answering your comments.
The parent birds will abandon a nest for a variety of reasons. If they’ve left the eggs for two days it is unlikely that they will return. Don’t worry - Blackbirds (and many other species) often nest 2, 3 or even more times every year. Many of the young are taken by hawks and other predators so that they too can survive.
I found your site interesting. I live in north Canberra and noticed a blackbird building a nest in the top of a Dixonia Antarctica fern in my small enclosed courtyard under a big umbrella. I was concerned about her absence after laying one egg, beautifully camouflaged in green with a brown base, but she’s back. My neighbour tells me she will come and go until the last egg is laid and then she will stay for them to all hatch together. I hope the location will prevent the local cats and other birds from finding the nest. Males have been digging up my garden for a few years - don’t know if they’re related. I can observe the process, which I do a lot, from the kitchen window.
Welcome to my birding blog, Joan. Your neighbour is correct - the female will commence sitting when the last egg is in the nest. You will have a great view of the comings and goings once the eggs hatch. Enjoy your new ‘family.’
I have been listening to Blackbirds at Seacliff for a few years now and Im amazed at their musical ability .They never seem to repeat themselves in their short phrases–and they have their own individuality as well—has anyone else listened closely?if so ,you will be enthralled with their inventiveness;like listening to Charlie Parker at his best
Welcome to my birding blog, Robin. I agree with you - the musical quality of the song is something amazing. Almost outdoes some of our native birds - like the Grey Shrike Thrush or the amazing Pied Butcherbird.
Hi Trevor,
I am very fond of our blackbirds in Bundoora, Melbourne. In fact we had a male blackbird who was very friendly over a period of five years. I called him ‘chook’ and would feed him worms I came across while weeding. This progressed to bread everyday and finally pieces of meat and chopped up cherry. He would come to the back door and wait for me everyday. He even came in the back door if left open and would sit on the step. He was not afraid and seemed to know I would not hurt him. Eventually he brought his two daughters to me to get food when they were very young ‘fluff-balls’. At this time he had a broken leg and would just hop around on the one leg. I guess he knew him would not last long and was trying to familiarize his siblings with my feeding service. He did not come back one day and I gather he died somewhere, but his babies still returned each day on a regular basis for feeding. They are still with me today and one has found a mate, nested and currently has her own baby birds that she is busy feeding. I provide chopped up sausage and bread for them and they take it straight back to the nest. It appears that they know when they are welcome and are not timid to come write up to you and hop around your feet if you stay still. I often sit outside with a cup of tea and they hang around me and just sit and look at me like they are trying to communicate telepathically. They are lovely birds and can be virtually tamed if you do the write thing by them. I am looking forward to the new family coming down to meet me very soon and the cycle repeating itself all over again.
Thanks for stopping by Greg, and for leaving your comments. Your experience with things ‘wild’ birds must be very satisfying and heartwarming to you. It just proves that humans can have effective and positive relationships with free creatures and live in harmony with them.
Some people will criticize you because they regard the Blackbird as a pest species. Others may not agree with your methods. I say ignore them - and listen to your heart.
Enjoy your special friends.
Have you gone on an Earth Walk? We had this activity when we were in college. We just toured around the campus and observe the flora and fauna present. It was a cool activity. Your post reminds me of those days. I find observing trees and animals around my neighborhood delightful. It is worth your time.
welcome to my birding blog Pierre. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
No - I haven’t been on an Earth Walk, but I encourage everyone who reads this to go on walks in the natural environment whenever they can - organised or just as the mood takes you. Walking with nature is a fantastic way of dealing with the stresses of life and the world in general. I find great inspiration for my writing when I’m in the natural environment.
Not only do you get to see great plants, flowers, birds and animals (eg lizards), not only do you get plenty of fresh air, not only do you shed the stresses of life - you also get very beneficial exercise.
All plusses!
I used to do walks like the one you describe with the children in my class when I was a teacher. So enjoyable - and a great way of learning in a fun way.
Now it is usually just my wife and me - and that’s enjoyable too.
Hi Trevor,
I’ve just read right back to 2006 and found the answer to my query…that is, there’s not much to be done. I do realise that this sort of culling means that only the fittest survive, the the babies of the birds who pick the most protected nesting site, sheltered garden and so on, but the devotion of the parents is hard to reconcile with the enormity of the loss. The other day I came home to find a huge magpie attacking the nest, and the parents were shrieking and flapping at him. I disturbed him but they chased him for at least 2 or 3 minutes, swooping and diving the whole time. I think he took one of the babies as I can now find only one. The parents spend all day foraging and feeding this little bird. Can you answer two more questions for me? Do the parents mate for life, the season, or for one time only? Also, what is the average time for a nestling to spend on the ground after leaving the nest? Many thanks.
Hi there Pauline,
The only reference I can find states that Blackbirds here in Australia are only occasionally polygamous. There is only one example of this so one can assume that they are usually monogamous ie staying together as a pair. The article does not say whether they mate for life.
Fledgelings usually leave the nest 12 -15 days after hatching. Some are able to fly weakly while others can barely fly at all. There seem to be no records of how long a they spend on the ground after leaving the nest.
I hope this helps.
Hullo Trevor - an update from Canberra - three eggs were laid but only one hatched. One egg was crushed, I assume by the parent/s, and dropped out of the nest and one never hatched. The nest is no more than 1m off the ground in a tiny four walled courtyard under a big umbrella - an ideal secure place. I have been fascinated watching the one chick grow rapidly and touched by the parents dedication to the chick, sitting directly on top of it and regularly feeding it rather large wriggly worms. Only a few more days to go before it will be able to fly. Unfortunately I was shocked and surprised that the chick was disemboweled and left on the ground by its attacker which I assume was a bird unable to lift the large chick and at the same time gain momentum to fly out of such a tight space. I hear you say it’s what comes naturally, however my almost obsessive observations of the whole wonderful process leaves me feeling down. I suppose a large bird saw the blackbirds flying in and out. After about 6 weeks of building the nest, laying the eggs, sitting on them, feeding the only chick - it’s a terrible result for the parents. Over and out.
Unfortunately there are predators who watch every movement carefully for signs of eggs or young in the nest. It could have been a currawong, raven, magpie, butcherbird among many others. Sorry to hear of your sadness. On a brighter note, Blackbirds will often have two or three clutches in the one breeding season, so there is hope… keep your eyes peeled for more nesting activity.
A pair of blackbirds made a nest on the fence under our carport (Hawthorn, South Aust)and even though the nest is on the top rail at chest height and close to where we come and go, the mother bird largely ignored us. I photographed daily from eggs to fledgelings without any problem. About a week or two after the nest was abandoned we saw mother bird (the same one?) had laid three more eggs. Now we have hatchlings again and I am busy photographing - I wait until the mother or father leaves the nest and grab a few shots before they come back. A blackbird nest in the front yard lost its only, large chick to a magpie. Obviously the carport is better.
Thank you Tony for your uplifting story. I had to remove the nest because it was inside a Dixonia Antarctica fern which has many fronds coming out and was pushing the nest out of position. I also took photos daily and have just now put together a record in a small album.
Welcome to my blog Tony. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your story. As you can see by reading all of the comments, there are many others like yourself who really enjoy seeing our birds nesting in their gardens.
What wonderful stories (yes I read all of them!).
We have had a family of black birds nesting in our roof for years now but the other night we noticed that one of the baby birds had fallen down the roof cavity (we have raked ceilings, but about 4m away from the nest it drops down to a normal height in the roof which is where the bird was). So on the 3rd day we couldn’t take the cries for help any more and have just cut a hole in the wall to rescue the poor thing. Well what a surprise we got when we looked in the hole as there was not one, but two of the poor things stuck in a tiny gap above the door frame (I guessed the spot right on target to cut the hole). So now we have two little birds talking to each other (non stop)in a nest we have made for them in our kitchen. As a child I raised many small birds which had fallen out of nests but have lost the “what to do” (I remember feeding them weetbix with a little bit of pentavite mixed in). I am currently feeding them worms but was wondering what else they can have and how often I should feed them? They have most of their feathers so I assume that they will be trying to fly soon, so what will be the best way to release them (we have cats that I’m sure would love them for dinner, so I am reluctant to let them go in our garden).
Hi there Nerissa - thanks for stopping by and leaving a few comments.
The things some people do to rescue stranded animals! I hope that the hole in the wall can be easily repaired.
I have no experience in looking after orphaned birds. What you are doing sounds okay - see if you can find some beetles and caterpillars as well. Maybe a spider or two and even chopped up fruit.
Keep the cats inside when you release them is my suggestion. They should soon fly off.
Hello,
I’ve really enjoyed reading all the comments. I live in Hallett Cove in SA and have always loved watching the wonderful commotion of the blackbirds building their nests in the most unusual places around our home and garden. I have a front courtyard which I can see from my computer area and delight in watching mum and dad blackbirds getting their nest ready and then seeing mum up there waiting and then feeding the little ones. This season they have chosen to nest in a silk plant hanging basket which is right in the middle up high in the courtyard. I managed to get a couple of photos of mum sitting in there but could only see a couple of tiny yellow mouths open for food. This was only a few weeks ago and just recently I’ve noticed they are building again in the same place - would the little ones have grown and flown so soon? anyway today as I was writing I noticed not one but two magpies on the basket pulling at the soft mulch. I raced out to shoo them away but was too late and saw a broken beautiful pale blue egg on the glass table beneath the nest. I was so upset and wonder if there are any other eggs still in the nest. I daren’t get up to look or even to straighten the basket as I feel the parents won’t come back if they see human intervention.
I’ve noticed that when mum sits on the nest the dad is often away, probably getting food. But when she’s away he sits on the wall and sings. Is he letting her know where to come back to? I love the songs they sing, to me it’s the sweetest call in nature.
I hear people saying that they are introduced…weren’t we all at some stage?!
Thanks for the site….lovely to hear these stories.
Nature is all around us to enjoy, so long as we take the time to notice.
Welcome to my bird blog Jane. Hallett Cove is a lovely place to live. It’s great that you appreciate the bird life in your garden - that’s one of the aims of this blog - to help people appreciate our lovely birds.
Blackbirds will nest two or three time a year - sometimes even four times. The little ones leave the nest only a few weeks after hatching.
Don’t get too upset with the magpies. They are trying to survive too. They will take the nesting material of other species so that they can have a nice nest for their young. They will also take eggs and young from the nests of other species: this seems harsh to us but that is the way of nature.
I also love to hear the song of the Blackbird. The real reason for any bird song is less romantic than humans like to think. In most cases, the bird is saying: “Keep out! This is MY territory. Everyone else - buzz off.” Or words to that effect - probably with a few nasty words thrown in for good measure.
Common Blackbirds are a known introduced pest, I discard their nests.
Hi from New Zealand, how wonderful to find others (mostly) who love Blackbirds. My resident female recently made her 5th nest of the season. She usually nests in one of three big native trees on the property which I rent but they were felled three weeks ago (unbelievably bad timing but then the person who arranged for them to be felled them also thinks that leaving cats outside all night is ok). I used to put a tangle of wire netting with sharp bits facing outwards around the lower trunk of the trees to stop cats climbing up to the nest. She had a nest with 3 eggs in one of trees that was felled and I couldn’t relocate it as the house was being painted and maintenance work on the fences being done, and there were people everywhere. She was such a stressed bird for 2 days, it was heartbreaking. She could not understand the disappearance of the nest and the tree. Anyway she has attempted three more nests but abandoned them before laying eggs due to the sites being unsuitable and cat disturbance. She is now nesting in a small tree outside my bedroom window and although it means I get woken early and sometimes have to get up in the night when I hear her alarm calls if there is a cat around, I’m hoping she and Mr BB will be successful with this sitting. He is a wonderful male and two years ago reared a baby on his own which fell from the nest well before it could fly. It went to ground for three days before scrabbling up a tree. That female disappeared, perhaps injured by a cat which was quickly on the scene when the baby fell from the nest. I spent the three days on guard until the baby was strong enough to get up into the tree. How it never got taken by a cat during the night I’ll never know, perhaps the male BB hid it safely. I also have sparrows, greenfinches, dunnocks, waxeyes, bellbirds, starlings, and goldfinches which come to my garden.
We currently have blackbirds nesting in our backyard for the very first time. The nest is in a very strange location, balanced on a stack of piled up wood but ingeneously built and placed so as to be stable and it is at about waist height.
We didnt notice it at all until the nest was built and there were three eggs inside.
Yesterday morning two of the eggs hatched and when by the end of the day the third was still unhatched we gave it up for dead but overnight the late bloomer came into the world.
The whole family is a little bit obsessed, sneaking round to see them when Dad is off forraging (We havent really seen Mum since they hatched)and taking photos.
I have to go away for a week and I know the first thing I will be doing when I come back is running to check on the babies - since although my dog cant get to the birds, she keeps cats away usually and she will be in boarding while Im away.
I really cant understand how people can look at the little things and feel anything but awed.
Hi, being an introduced species I would appreciate a way to get rid of the blackbirds in my garden without resorting to trapping etc. Are there ways of excluding them naturally (specific veg?) while encouraging more natives? The natives in my backyard are primarily Superb Wrens, Eastern & Crimson Rosellas and Red & Little Wattlebirds + lots of Magpies and seasonal Little Corellas and Golden Whistlers.
Thanks for any help!
Paul
Sue - thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I wouldn’t worry too much - they seem to be very resilient birds.
It’s good to hear that you have a nice range of birds in your garden - some of them we don’t have here in Australia.
Happy bird watching.
Thanks for you comments too Jo. I agree - birds often leave me in awe. Especially when they are quite happy to live close to our houses and go about their every day activities quite close to human activity.
Enjoy your adopted family.
Hi there Paul. Welcome to my blog. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
I’m sorry, but I really can’t help you in trying to eliminate Blackbirds from your garden. This is a question many people ask and there is no easy solution.
By planting many native species of Australian plants you are giving the native bird species the best chance of survival. These will provide food (nectar, insects etc), protection from predators (hawks etc), shelter from inclement weather and nesting sites. It will add to the biodiversity in your area - especially if other gardeners are also doing this - as well the general feeling of helping the environment.
A good native garden often minimalises the attraction to Blackbirds anyway. If you are still concerned, removing any nests before they lay eggs could be one effective method of discouraging them. They will probably give up and go elsewhere which just shifts the problem I know. No easy solution.
Hi again Paul,
Going though my emails I discovered that Dorothy had replied to your question but somehow it didn’t appear here. Not sure why. Here is her suggestion:
Paul,
One way of discouraging blackbirds is to develop your garden, we have planted a number of trees/shrubs in the back garden and blackbirds prefer more open land with hedge-like edges ie the traditional garden. However our blackbird loves the front garden which is more open but with enough cover. They also adore mulch, so grow more closely planted ground cover to discourage them.
Dorothy
Hello, i have spent the last hour or two pouring over this site trying to learn how i should care for 4 baby blackbirds who have hatched in the last 48 hours. My children aged 11 and 13 have watched the building of the nest and the laying of the eggs with amazement and eagerness! This morning we checked them and the four were fine and mum and dad were off out and about. This afternoon when the children came home from school, the father was lying dead in the driveway, feathers everywhere and the little ones were covered in a mass invasion of ants. With my children totally distraught, i reluctantly commenced the retreival process!. We collected one of the disused nests and picked the ants off and they are now in this nest in a box and under a light for warmth. They seem to have picked up amazingly well and now appear hungry!
I would welcome any advice, assistance or ideas. It seems that whilst they are only blackbirds, they have chosen our garden to live in and after the children investing so much time into them already we feel that we should give them every chance of survival, rather than leaving them to the ants!
Sadly when I got back from my holiday there was no sign of two of the babies. I promised myself that I would leave the remaining one alone but it didnt work out that way because the little fella kept getting himself in trouble. The nest was built under a sloped pergola and he had to be saved after slamming into it and being picked up by my dog while lying dazed on the ground. We put him back in his nest.
The next day we almost drove over him in our driveway and he had to be saved again. We thought he had gone but after investigating a strange sound found him trapped under our BBQ with his wing caught.
Finally we got fed up and instead of putting him back in his nest, took him to the highest point of our very steep backyard and put him on top of the gazebo where his Dad joined him and they both (finally!) took flight.
As much as Ive enjoyed the experience I will be taking the nest away so they cant lay there again next year - I dont think i could stand worrying about another lot of silly uncoordinated babies.
Hello there. I am a cockatiel breeder and as such do not know much about blackbirds. I live in Greenwith SA and my neighbour told me about a nest that had been built in one of her climbing rose bushes. I quickly worked out that it was a blackbird nest, given the activity of a very vocal male blackbird which was hanging around a lot, and lo and behold about 10 days ago the 3 eggs hatched. Yesterday my neighbour came over and was quite concerned that the 3 babies were no longer in the nest. We searched and located them in different spots in her backyard. They couldn’t fly, but were very agile runners. Given their size, and the small nest, there is no way that they would have stayed in the nest if we had put them back. My concern was that they would jump out again and be vulnerable not only to the elements, but also to my neighbour’s dog. I decided to take them to my local vet and they were going to pass them on to a local wildlife carer to finish rearing them. Is it normal behaviour for baby blackbirds to fledge before they can fly, and if it is, I am presuming that the parents seek them out to feed them. Did I do the right thing as I am feeling a little bit guilty as the parents are frantically looking for them. I would just like to know just in case I am faced with the same scenario again. Thanks.
Joanne - thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments. In my experience many baby birds leave the nest before they can fly well. Only a few days ago I had to redirect a baby Blackbird that had lost its way. Several times it crashed into our kitchen window and then fluttered around on the veranda before it let me direct it back out into the garden. Many parent birds must have an awful time keeping up with their errant young!
In most cases it would be best to let them go under their own steam. Sure - the attrition rate is high, what with cats, dogs, hawks etc to contend with. Blackbirds often breed 3-5 times in a season so they quickly replace young that do not survive.
Hi there - A couple of seasons ago our first pair of blackbirds nested in our backyard in the NSW Southern Highlands. This season we have 3 or 4 pairs in ours and surrounding gardens. We have large trees near our bedroom and, yes, they are extremely vocal at night. Paul McCartney is constantly bought to mind!
My question is this, do blackbirds out-compete other birds including natives?
I have chooks, and unfortunately, because of the easy scraps and feed, we had plenty of Indian Mynas. To my delight their numbers seemed to have dropped considerably this season.
We also have native trees and shrubs which are home to Noisy Miners, Friar birds and other natives. Their numbers have also dropped and I have seen and heard the male blackbird in those trees.
Are Blackbirds aggressive, or have all the other birds migrated in search of a decent night’s kip?
As much as I enjoy having them around, if they are going to displace the natives I will try to discourage them.
Hi there Sally.
Your comments raise some interesting questions. I am not aware of Common Blackbirds being aggressive to other species. I my experience they are rather timid birds - in our garden at least. The Noisy Miners are usually the aggressive ones and it would be an interesting observation if the roles have been reversed in your area.
I’m sorry I can’t add any more at this point - all my reference books are 1300km away at home - I’m visiting family in Sydney at present.
We live at Aberfoyle Park, South Australia, and this morning our resident blackbird has just laid its fourth lot of eggs for this season - must be the unusual weather pattern. The mother is so tame that I can occasionally pat her. The nest is in a hanging basket of maidenhair fern outside the window of our computer room so we get a very good view daily. We love having them live with us and to hear their beautiful singing.
Hi there Gloria. Welcome to my blog about Australian birds. Your observation is not unusual. In our garden they often nest multiple times. Blackbirds have been known to raise up to six clutches of babies in the one season.
Hi,
I also live in Aberfoyle Park. We have enjoyd watching many blackbirds build amazing nests and happily raise their young over the last season. However, on Christmas day and for the second time this season two eggs hatched in a nest built on our pool fence. We have enjoyed watching the babies progress and the parents busily attending to their young. Sadly, however, on Monday, we found one the featherless chicks dead, about 20 metres from the nest. It had no signs of trauma and looked fat and healthy. The other baby was still in the nest and the parents were feeding and attending to it as normal. Then, on Tuesday we were saddened to find the second chick dead in the same place as the first, again it had no signs of trauma. We have racked our brains as to what has caused this. There is no way a cat could get to the birds due to the nests position. As the nest is very deep the chicks could not have fallen out, then been moved. Has anybody any ideas? I would have thought if it were magpies they would have a least eaten it!
Hi there Jan,
It is quite likely that a Magpie could have taken the baby bird and then dropped it when disturbed. Other culprits could have been ravens, currawongs, kingfishers (eg Kookaburras) butcherbirds, or even smaller birds of prey (eg owls, frogmouths, hawks).
You might like to read more here:
http://www.trevorsbirding.com/why-do-baby-birds-disappear/
Hi Trevor,
I am currenly trapping Mynas & Starlings, but isn’t the Common Blackbird in the same group and regarded a pest? And the less we have of these the better off the native birds & wild life would be?? It is said one in 20 native birds are considered endangered…