Common Blackbird vs Eurasian Wren
Turdus merula compared with Troglodytes troglodytes
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Blackbird | Eurasian Wren |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Turdus merula | Troglodytes troglodytes |
| Order | Passeriformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Turdidae | Troglodytidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 9.5 cm (3.7 in) |
| Wingspan | 36.0 cm (14.2 in) | 15.0 cm (5.9 in) |
| Weight | 100.0 g (3.53 oz) | 9.0 g (0.32 oz) |
| Diet | Earthworms, insects, berries, and fruit. Forages on the ground, turning over leaf litter. Famously pulls … | Insects and spiders, gleaned from dense vegetation, rock crevices, and bark. Active and restless forager. |
| Clutch Size | 3-5 | 3-9 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Common Blackbird
Woodland, hedgerows, gardens, and parks. One of the most common garden birds across Europe.
Eurasian Wren
Dense undergrowth in woodlands, gardens, hedgerows, and rocky areas. Prefers tangled vegetation close to the ground.
Song & Call Comparison
Common Blackbird
Arguably Britain's finest songster: rich, flute-like phrases with deep, mellow quality. Sings persistently at dusk. Alarm is a sharp 'chook-chook'. Song includes liquid 'pew' notes.
Eurasian Wren
Extraordinarily loud for its tiny size: a rapid, powerful stream of trills, buzzes, and churring phrases. One of Europe's loudest songs by volume relative to body weight.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Blackbird
Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Introduced to Australia and New Zealand. Northern populations are migratory.
Eurasian Wren
Eurasia from Iceland and western Europe to Japan. The only wren species found outside the Americas.
Conservation Status
Common Blackbird
Eurasian Wren
How to Tell Them Apart
Common Blackbird
Males are jet black with a bright yellow-orange bill and eye-ring. Females are dark brown with mottled underparts and a dull yellowish bill.
Bright yellow-orange bill in males, dull brownish in females
Eurasian Wren
Warm rufous-brown upperparts with fine dark barring. Pale buffy underparts with barred flanks. Short, often cocked tail.
Thin, slightly curved, dark brown bill
About These Birds
Common Blackbird
The common blackbird is one of Europe's most familiar and best-loved songbirds, celebrated for its rich, fluting song delivered from rooftop and treetop perches at dawn and dusk. Originally a shy woodland bird, it has colonized urban environments over the past two centuries and become one of the most successful urban adapters.
Eurasian Wren
The Eurasian wren is one of the smallest birds in Europe but possesses an astonishingly loud song for its size. Males build multiple dome-shaped nests, from which the female selects one to line and use. In British folklore, the wren is known as the king of birds for outwitting the eagle in a flying contest.