Is this bird a Robin?

[Belly77]

Hello twitchers I was after some ID advice please.

My friend took this photo and thought it might be a Robin. But, it only had a hint of Red and he described it as 3 x larger then your normal common Red Breast. I know juveniles Robin’s develop the Red breast but presumed they'd all have come through by now. Any help would be much appreciated?


robin44 - Wild About Britain Pics

[rossy]

looks like a female blackbird to me rossy

[stevensi]

Hi Belly,

That is a hunched up Fieldfare...a member of the thrush family. There are plenty of them about at the moment...

Regards

[solus]

It's a Fieldfare - a member of the Trush family and a winter visitor to the UK, now appearing in many gardens in search of food during the snowy, freezing weather.

[jamess]

Whats the difference in apparence to a fieldfare and a female blackbird? It looked like a female blackbird to me.. although the angle on the picture doesn't seem to show any speckles on the breast...

[poohbear]

Markings on the cheeks and greyish colour

[Lance Morgan]

It's a Fieldfare quite different from female blackie

[NicolaB]

Definitely a fieldfare

[kevbirder]

Lots of differences between female Blackbird and Fieldfare. Fieldfare is much more colourful.

In this picture it's the Grey Back that really gives it away. You can also just see that the head is grey not brown - compare it to the chestnut brown on the upper back. The black tail contrasts with the grey back and the bill is a brighter yellow than a female Blackbird would usually be.

If you could see the other side of this bird you would see that it is quite pale underneath, unlike Blackbird, with prominent thrush like spots on the upper breast. When it flies it reveals a white underwing and calls 'chack chack'. I've just seen one of these today fly up from the gutter of an urban road, they are absolutely everywhere in this cold weather.

[Roger B.]

I agree that it's definitely a fieldfare. Thanks to the wintry weather, they are turning up all over the place.