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Fieldfare 

 

 

On a snowlit winter day fieldfare groups are noticeable: snow spills from the rowan trees and after some time there are not as many red fruits left …

 

These fieldfares have arrived here from the north and in good berry years there are even winterers. Quite comparable to the well-known blackbird: thrushes with a strong body, long-tailed, and  with a mottled plumage; body length around a quarter of a metre, as for weight around 100 grammes with both lighter and heavier individuals.

 

Head, neck and the rump area (well visible in flight) hidden in grey plumage, throat, chest and sides dotted in black on rusty yellow, belly and undersides of wings white. Back plumage dark brown, tail feathers black as well as wing edges. The plumages of males and females are very similar but the head and neck plumage of juveniles seems more brown and the body more dotted than that of an adult bird.

 

The tip of the male bird’s orange-yellow beak is black (in summer it was quite yellow). The beak of females and young birds are more brown-patterned (compare the birds in Arne’s photos). Eyes and legs brown. Birds with a quite pretty plumage.

 

Observations of fieldfares: LINK

 

Fieldfare