White Tailed Blackbird

[barquar]

This morning My white tailed Blackbird appeared in my garden. I have not seen this bird since Autum last year. Just wondering were she might have been all winter. Any sugestions or have you seen a white tailed Black bird.(she has just one white Feather in her tail )
Barquar

[Billabong Karen]

No - but I do have a male blackbird with a White feather on his shoulder. He was around last winter and disappeared when the weather got better. To my delight he reappeared this week! I assume he goes elsewhere when there is plenty of food, and just comes back to my garden to stock up on raisins and mealworms when food in his normal territory gets scarce. He is quite dominant though and expends quite a bit of time chasing the other blackbirds.

[RoyW]

Although Blackbirds are generally thought of as resident, the individuals that are present in an area during the breeding season are not necessarily the same as the winter ones. There is also evidence from ringing recoveries that shows that they can be faithful to the same sites each summer and winter (I have previously read about one that bred in the same garden in the the UK two years running, after spending the preceeding winters over 100 miles away in a garden in the south-west - I don't remember the precise details).

Of course, in both these cases it is also possible that the birds moved no further than a couple of miles.

[Billabong Karen]

Thanks for that Roy - Barquar I hope your white tailed blackbird sticks around for a while.

[barquar]

Originally Posted by Billabong Karen

Thanks for that Roy - Barquar I hope your white tailed blackbird sticks around for a while.

Yes been around today having a bath thx.
Barquar

[Billabong Karen]

Does he have a name? Mine is called Captain (white feather on his shoulder looks a bit like an epaulet...)

[barquar]

Originally Posted by Billabong Karen

Does he have a name? Mine is called Captain (white feather on his shoulder looks a bit like an epaulet...)

No Name as such just white tail, bin in the bath again today he is a clean little bird.
Barquar

[Carol ann]

Slight cross thread here, I was going to ask about the family of Blackbirds we have, we had mum and dad (scruffy) last spring then we saw 5 babies come along, we have seen them cast their downy feathers go scruffy and then get their new feathers, they have stayed here all winter, and they still all come out of the Brambles together as a family.
My question is will they stay together or do you think Dad and Mum will encourage last years young to go off on their own.
I will let you know if they breed again this year.