The Eurasian Blackbird is one of the most commonly kept cage birds, frequently found in most households that enjoy birdkeeping. Known for their beautiful singing and agility, these birds are quite timid, especially newly captured ones from the wild. Therefore, it often takes around 2 to 3 years for owners to fully tame a bird…
- Common Name: Eurasian Blackbird
- Other Names: Golden Blackbird
- Scientific Name: Garrulax canorus
- English Name: Bunting
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Leiothrichidae
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Physical Characteristics and Behavior of the Eurasian Blackbird
The Eurasian Blackbird has unremarkable plumage but is diverse in color, varying according to different regions.
- Well-proportioned body with symmetrical parts, a flat head, a straight and sharp beak, long tail feathers, long legs, and sharp claws.
- The eyes are the most distinctive feature of the Eurasian Blackbird, drawing much attention from bird enthusiasts. They believe that by looking into the eyes of the bird, one can determine its temperament—gentle or fierce, tame or shy. The eyes are relatively round, small but bright, often open, and have a unique structure: they lack the white part, replaced by a colored background (iris) with various colors (such as: light green, blue, white, emerald, jade green, golden yellow, etc.), with a solid black pupil in the center.
- The plumage is not striking but is diverse in color and varies by region. For instance: birds from high, cold mountains have lighter and silvery feathers; birds from low, warm areas tend to have yellow feathers; additionally, birds from Lạng Sơn typically have dark golden or reddish-brown feathers, while those from Hà Giang and Điện Biên are lighter in color.
- In their natural habitat, Eurasian Blackbirds are solitary creatures, living in “territories”; hence, they do not tolerate the presence of “strangers,” especially male blackbirds. They are naturally competitive, always instinctively fighting for a mate.
Distinguishing Male and Female Eurasian Blackbirds
- Female blackbirds typically have smaller heads, slender bodies, and smaller legs, while males are more robust with larger heads.
- Males usually have a more colorful and eye-catching appearance. Additionally, the black whiskers on male blackbirds grow downwards along the beak, whereas in females, they grow horizontally.
Some Tips for Keeping Eurasian Blackbirds
Eurasian Blackbirds love to bathe.
- Newly captured Eurasian Blackbirds are often scared and timid, so to help them gradually acclimate to captivity, owners should cover the cage (leaving a small gap) and place the bird in a quiet area with minimal human traffic; gradually, the gap can be widened to help the bird become more accustomed.
- A useful tip for new bird owners is to hang a cage with a relatively tame female blackbird next to the male’s cage to help reduce the male’s fear and facilitate faster adaptation to captivity. You can do the opposite if you want to tame a female blackbird!
- Caring for Eurasian Blackbirds should be done regularly at the same times each day to create good habits for the birds, helping them develop appropriate conditioned reflexes for captivity. For example: open the cage cover at a fixed time in the morning, place the birdcage in a fixed position, and provide water at a designated time…
- To ensure that the blackbirds have beautiful and distinctive songs, professional bird enthusiasts recommend allowing them to interact with other birds by taking them out for exercise or purchasing music discs featuring Eurasian Blackbird songs for them to imitate and learn from surrounding birds; this method also helps them become less fearful of humans.
- Eurasian Blackbirds enjoy bathing and have a habit of using their beaks to pick at their feathers after each bath. However, this habit should be limited during molting periods (usually bathing only every 2 to 3 days) because, at this time, many blood feathers are developing; picking or pecking at feathers may damage these new feathers, leading to uneven or unattractive growth, which is detrimental to the molting process.
Feeding Eurasian Blackbirds
Eurasian Blackbirds are relatively easy to care for, mainly feeding on rice mixed with egg or homemade feed and a small amount of crickets, grasshoppers, worms, or silkworm pupae each day is sufficient. However, attention should also be given to their nutritional needs and portion sizes to ensure they maintain good health and avoid common illnesses. You can refer to the feeding mixture for Eurasian Blackbirds shared by experienced bird keepers. Specifically: Pour one can of powdered milk (250g) into a pan and roast until golden, then add around 4 egg yolks and mix well—then leave it to dry for a few hours. This rice and egg mixture will be used as feed for the Eurasian Blackbirds shortly after preparation.
