Family: Turdidae
As its name would imply, this bird’s plumage is dark and uniform. Males are completely black; females are a grayish brown color and have some white stripes on the chest; Juveniles are a lighter brown with spots. They are about 25cm long.
This species displays a bright yellow ring around the eyes. It’s especially eye-catching in males, whose beaks share a similar color. In young birds, the beak’s color is muted and the eye ring much subtler.
Male
Female
Juvenile
It’s present across most of Europe and in some unconnected regions of Asia and the north coast of Africa. It has also been introduced to Oceania. In most of its area of distribution, including the Iberian Peninsula, it’s sedentary, but some populations do migrate.
It mostly feeds on insects and worms it hunts on the ground, but especially during colder months, it supplements its diet with fruits and berries. It’s easy to see them turning up the soil to catch worms.
Its song is a flute-like melodic whistle which can be heard throughout most of the year.