Fieldfare

Turdus pilaris (Linnaeus, 1758) FF FIELD 11980
Family: Passeriformes > Turdidae

Fieldfare, Liz Cutting

The grey-headed, chestnut-backed Fieldfare is the largest of the thrushes, and visits Britain & Ireland during the winter months.

Fieldfares begin arriving on the UK's eastern coasts from Fennoscandia, western Russia and eastern Europe during early October. Numbers vary each year and are dependent on berry crops closer to their breeding grounds. In years when crops are poor, Fieldfares move in large numbers in search of berries elsewhere and it is under these conditions that the largest numbers occur in Britain & Ireland.

Ringing data demonstrate that Fieldfares visiting the UK have been found in 18 different countries. In some years one or two pairs breed in upland parts of the UK. Fieldfare has been on the UK Red List since 2009.

Identification

Fieldfare identification is often straightforward. The following article may help when identifying Fieldfare.

related video

Identifying Redwing and Fieldfare

These two winter thrushes are easily told from each other. However, Redwing can be confused with Song Thrush, whilst Fieldfare is similar in size and appearance to Mistle Thrush. In this, the latest identification video from the BTO, we offer tips on how to confidently separate these engaging thrushes.

SONGS AND CALLS

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Fieldfare, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

Flight call

Call

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Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

POPULATION SIZE

POPULATION CHANGE

The Fieldfare is predominantly a winter visitor to the UK from Fennoscandia and the numbers breeding in the UK are tiny in comparison. There has been a strong decrease in breeding numbers over the 25 years to 2019 and just a handful of breeding records have been reported to the RBBP in recent years,with a mean of just one breeding pair over the five-year period 2015–2019 (Eaton et al. 2021).

DISTRIBUTION

Fieldfares are widely distributed in winter, with the exception of major urban areas and the highest ground in northern Scotland and in northwest Ireland. They shows a preference for low-lying land, where they feed in open farmland, hedgerows and woodland, only moving into gardens during harsh winter weather. The highest concentrations are found in southeast and central England. Outside winter, Fieldfares are a very rare breeder, with confirmed breeding during 2008–11 recorded in just four locations, three in Scotland and one in northern England.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

DISTRIBUTION CHANGE

Winter range has changed little. The breeding range appears to have shrunk but this may be an artefact of many previous Fieldfare records being assigned breeding evidence when in fact they were late-departing winter migrants.

Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK

SEASONALITY

Fieldfare is largely a winter visitor, arriving from continental breeding grounds in October and remaining into late winter and early spring. The tiny breeding population is rarely encountered on complete lists and does not appear here.

Weekly occurence of Fieldfare from BirdTrack
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

An overview of year-round movements for the whole of Europe can be seen on the EuroBirdPortal viewer.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Foreign locations of Fieldfare ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Encountered in: Winter (Nov-Feb); Spring (Mar-Apr); Summer (May-Jul); Autumn (Aug-Oct)

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about Fieldfare, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

SURVIVAL & LONGEVITY

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

BIOMETRICS

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Gaelic: Liath-thruisg
Welsh: Socan Eira
Catalan: griva cerdana
Czech: drozd kvícala
Danish: Sjagger
Dutch: Kramsvogel
Estonian: hallrästas e. paskrästas
Finnish: räkättirastas
French: Grive litorne
German: Wacholderdrossel
Hungarian: fenyorigó
Icelandic: Gráþröstur
Irish: Sacán
Italian: Cesena
Latvian: pelekais strazds, plers
Lithuanian: smilginis strazdas
Norwegian: Gråtrost
Polish: kwiczol
Portuguese: tordo-zornal
Slovak: drozd cvíkota
Slovenian: brinovka
Spanish: Zorzal real
Swedish: björktrast

Research

Interpretation and scientific publications about Fieldfare from BTO scientists.

CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

Causes of change

Reasons for the decline in numbers of breeding Fieldfare in the UK are not known.

Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com

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