Blackbirds with red breasts?

[Slarti]

This year the local blackbirds have discovered our back garden, rather than just the front, and I have noticed that at least 3 individuals - 2 female and one male - have lighter coloured breasts than usual.

Depending on which way they are facing they either look dark grey or, more commonly, a very dark red.


Is this common?

Slarti

[jackdaww]

i seem to remember american blackbirds (which they call robins) have reddish breasts .

another jetstream effect ?

[bungeejumper]

Hmmm, blackbirds do seem to throw "sport" mutations quite easily - as when you get a family group with white patches on them. (We've had multiple generations of those in our garden over the last 20 years.) But a reddish colour is a new one on me.

You get some quite exotic migratory birds in your neck of the woods, I think, Slarti? Have your resident birds been fraternising with the travellers?

BJ

[Breelander]

This thread (complete with photos) was answered with...

Some of my lady blackbirds have lovely orange breasts. Apparently they are winter visitors and will soon be on their way home. They also tend to be bigger and more aggressive than our resident females.

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/wildl ... spx#227141

[Slarti]

This thread (complete with photos) was answered with...

Some of my lady blackbirds have lovely orange breasts. Apparently they are winter visitors and will soon be on their way home. They also tend to be bigger and more aggressive than our resident females.

https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/community/wildl ... spx#227141

Well that is similar to the 3 unusual ones in colour, but they are no bigger or more aggressive than the other half dozen normal coloured ones round the garden.

I'll have to see what happens as the year goes on.


Cheers
Slarti

[JMN2]

Blobins?

(I'll get my coat)

[tjh290633]

As it happens we had two blackbirds sitting on a branch this afternoon, one a normal-looking black male, the other a female with a markedly red breast. Colour very similar to the much smaller robin.

TJH