Blackbird Nestlings

Blackbird Nestlings - Turdus merula

These blackbird nestlings are waiting for an adult to bring food to them as they sit in their nest. This nest has been carefully made and hidden in a mature wisteria, which is growing on a balcony at Newington Green. Who would have thought that you could see this happening on a London balcony!

You can see three nestlings, two with up-turned beaks. You can also see the pale-coloured 'gape' at the base of the beak, which allows the bird's mouth to open extra wide for feeding and acts as a visible marker, so that the adult birds can more easily see where to put the food.

Photo: Clemence Biardeau

June 2010