How much does a Blackbird need to eat daily (1 Viewer)

S

Stranger

Well-known member

• Mar 20, 2009

• #1

Whilst digging up my very neglected garden to grow veggies I am enjoying the company of a male Blackbird.
He appears within minutes of me starting to dig and approaches to within a metre or so.
In one ten minute session he consumed 3 medium sized worms,2 big ones,5 centipedes.1 leather jacket,1 grub species unknown and 1 spider.He also appeared to consumed 6 small insects that were too small for me to see.
In two more visits this afternoon he seemed to eat similar amounts.
He is not taking food away and I have not seen any sign of a female so I am assuming he has not paired up yet.
I am amazed at the quantity he can put away.

 

mr.sim

Honourable founding member of the "day late" gang

• Mar 20, 2009

• #2

I too have wondered about this. But if you think about it, I suppose theres not really that much energy in a worm...also, flying can use up a huge amount of energy, I can't really compare it to anything as I'm no expert. Heat loss can also "waste" a fair bit of energy. There is also the possibility that this could be a bird that breeds further North (maybe on the continent), and therefore it is stocking up its fat levels for the journey.
Hope this helps
Sim

 

pianoman

duck and diver, bobolink and weaver

• Mar 20, 2009

• #3

Same story on my veggie patch, Stranger. Except that he was lining them up in his beak - at least 7 or 8 at a time, then flying off.

Perhaps it is simply a question of grabbing the opportunity. The worms and grubs don't stay on the surface for too long after digging, so he's simply taking advantage of the banquet while it's there.

 

F

fugl

Well-known member

• Mar 21, 2009

• #4

pianoman said:

Same story on my veggie patch, Stranger. Except that he was lining them up in his beak - at least 7 or 8 at a time, then flying off.

Perhaps it is simply a question of grabbing the opportunity. The worms and grubs don't stay on the surface for too long after digging, so he's simply taking advantage of the banquet while it's there.

Click to expand...

Or that he's gathering them to feed to nestlings. Would there be nestlings this early in Ireland?

 

Last edited: Mar 21, 2009

S

Stranger

Well-known member

• Mar 21, 2009

• #5

it would appear that this bird has set up a territory that encompasses my garden with its boundaries being my nieghbours garden on the right and two garden down on the left.
He flies off periodically to belt out his song on the boundaries,then returns to my fence where he sits and warbles in a very low voice or makes a very gentle tuk tuk sound.
When the rival Blachbird starts up he is off patrolling the boundaries again.
I think he is a young bird as his eye ring does not seem as pronounced as some I have seen and his beak is quite pale orange in colour.
I wonder if he will attract a mate this year?

 

mr.sim

Honourable founding member of the "day late" gang

• Mar 21, 2009

• #6

If he is lining them up in his beak, pianoman, he will almost definaely be taking them to someone else. It could be young birds but perhaps more likely a female sitting on eggs.

 

S

Stranger

Well-known member

• Mar 21, 2009

• #7

Having had such close views I have come to realise what a difference there is between watching birds and observing.
A common bird that I see daily and dismiss as just another Blackbird,but on closer inspection I am observing things I had never noticed before. Such as the very fine "whiskers" at the base of the beak and today when it was making the "tuk tuk" sound it would punctuate it with a single low "seep"
Watching it tackling a rather large worm I noticed that it would leave the worm and grab a small centipede before returning to the worm,was this because it preferred centipedes or that the centipede was faster and more likely to escape.

 

mr.sim

Honourable founding member of the "day late" gang

• Mar 21, 2009

• #8

I would guess because the centipede is more likely to escape, and because the bird needs to gather as much food as possible.
It's good to observe birds closesly. I find it calms me down...

 

pianoman

duck and diver, bobolink and weaver

• Mar 21, 2009

• #9

mr.sim said:

If he is lining them up in his beak, pianoman, he will almost definaely be taking them to someone else. It could be young birds but perhaps more likely a female sitting on eggs.

Click to expand...

Aha, I thought it was a little early for nestlings but never considered the fact that he might be feeding a female, that could well be it.

He's been back regularly and right enough it's always a male.