Blackbird Removing Faecal Sac

Male Blackbird - Turdus merula

The photographer's keen eye managed to spot this important part of nesting behaviour that blackbirds and some other species habitually display - this time taking place on a balcony by Newington Green.

After feeding the nestlings, this male blackbird can be seen cleaning up the nest by removing a faecal sac (full of a nestling's droppings). The bird will than take the sac in his beak, away some distance from the nest before disposing of it, so that predators do not know where the nest is.

In this way, the bird protects the nestlings from both disease and predators.

Photo: Clemence Biardeau

June 2010