The Blackbird can be heard singing very loud and varied songs throughout the day. A Blackbird often takes a singing break when it is looking for food or when it wants to listen out for the replies of other Blackbirds.

Blackbirds can often be heard from March to July. Their songs usually consist of simple varied phrases which are loud and clear. Phrases are short musical passages. The phrases are very mellow, melodious and flute-like and seem to gently ‘tail off’ at the end. It seems like Blackbirds want to finish their songs on a softer note. This gentle easing of the songs makes listening very pleasant to the ear.

The Blackbird sings a song for about six seconds and then pauses for six seconds before singing the next song. It likes to sing its songs from very high positions, like high up in tree trunks and on roof tops or anywhere else where there is an elevated perch. Blackbirds sing the loudest at dusk when it starts to get dark.

Blackbirds roost together (rest together) in dense hedgerows and shrubs at dusk. Dusk is when the sun sets and it begins to get dark. At this time all the roosting Blackbirds seem to sing together in chorus making the same ‘chink-chink-chink’ sound. Dusk is when they sing the loudest and this is when they can be very noisy.

When Blackbirds fly, they often make soft and quivering ‘seeee-seeee-seeee’ sounds. If they give out a warning cry to other birds, they make low ‘chuck-chuck-chuck’ sounds and if they are alarmed, they make loud chattering sounds like ‘tchook-tchook-tchook’. Blackbirds can be very vocal indeed!