Fieldfare Identification Guide
What I look like
The Fieldfare is about the size of a blackbird.
It has a contrasting plumage.
The head and nape are gray with an orange-yellow beak.
The back is brown.
The rump is gray.
The chest and flanks are light speckled with brown.
Its belly is white.
My songs, my calls
The Fieldfare has various calls. The most common is a "tra tra tra".
Its rattle-like cries "trr trr" help to deter predators.
Its song is a series of dissonant, robotic chirps interspersed with shrill notes. Not very melodious!
How I behave
The Fieldfare is very sociable, living in colonies.
Like a blackbird, it pecks and searches the ground for worms.
In winter, it is sometimes seen perching to sleep. Here, a juvenile...
How I reproduce
The breeding season of the Fieldfare extends from April to July.
It produces 1 to 2 broods per year of 5 to 6 pale green eggs speckled with brown.
It nests in colonies in large trees.
They collectively defend nests with cries or by projecting their droppings.
Its nest is a cup made of twigs and stems.
What I eat
The Fieldfare eats worms and insects...
which it finds in meadows, pastures, and gardens.
It also feeds on fruits.
It comes to gardens at the end of winter, when it runs low on fruits. It is attracted by apples stuck on branches.
Where to find me
The Fieldfare lives in rural villages, agricultural regions, and the trees and bushes of parks and gardens.
It is a sedentary or medium-distance migrant species.
At the end of summer, they sometimes come in large numbers from Northern and Eastern Europe.
It only comes in winter as far west as western France.
It can be observed in berry bushes.