Biosecurity Spotters logo

Common blackbird (Turdus merula)

Introduced to Australia in the 1850s, the common blackbird is now widespread in south-eastern parts of the country. It can damage gardens and orchards by disturbing ground vegetation and feeding on fruit and crops.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, bird.

Native to: Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia.

Established in: NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA.

Other names: Eurasian blackbird, European blackbird.

Best time to act: Look for birds foraging on lawns and leaf litter throughout the year; breeding activity occurs from September to January.

Identification

  • It is a thrush about 25 to 28 cm long.
  • Adult males are black, with a deep orange to yellow bill, a narrow yellow eye-ring and dark legs.
  • Females are brown, often with streaking or mottling, and have a dark bill and dark legs.
  • Immature birds resemble females but have lighter underparts.
  • It commonly forages on the ground, probing and scratching through leaf litter, lawns and soil.
  • Look-alike: The introduced Song Thrush is another thrush; the Common Blackbird is distinguished by the male’s yellow eye-ring and, in females, brown streaked or mottled plumage.

Where it lives

In Australia it occurs in urban areas and surrounding localities, as well as bushland, orchards, vineyards, gardens, roadsides and parks.

Why it matters

  • It can be a pest in orchards, parks and gardens.
  • Its ground-foraging can disturb vegetation, particularly in backyard vegetable patches.
  • It eats fruit and seeds as well as insects, earthworms, snails and spiders.

How it spreads

  • Introduced in Australia in the 1850s, it was initially confined to Melbourne and Adelaide and has since expanded across south-eastern Australia.
  • Its Australian range includes coastal and inland areas, extends north as far as Sydney, and includes Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands.

Control methods

  • Protect crops, seedlings and garden beds with suitable bird netting or other physical covers, and keep them maintained so birds cannot become trapped.
  • Reduce accessible food where practical by clearing fallen fruit and food scraps.
  • Use only humane methods approved for the site and jurisdiction; check with the relevant state or territory agency before trapping or lethal control.
  • Maintain exclusion measures and recheck affected areas, as birds can return.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Because blackbirds eat fruit and seeds, avoid moving fruiting weed material between sites and dispose of it appropriately.
  • Clean seeds, soil and plant material from boots, tools and vehicles before leaving a site.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: General biosecurity duty. Not prohibited matter in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared animal. Declared animals have legal restrictions, which can cover keeping, moving, selling and releasing them, and landowners may be required to control them.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Prohibited entrant. Wildlife that is not native to the NT is a prohibited entrant, so you need an NT permit to bring it in or keep it. Report any wild sighting to the NT Government.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources