Fieldfare

In 1937 a flock of fieldfares drifted with the wind during a few storms across the North Sea to Greenland. From then on, this tough bird regularly breeds on southern Greenland.

Appearance

A large, stretched and colourful thrush. Crown and neck and belly are grey.

Similar bird

The song thrush is slightly smaller and has an even greyish brown on top.

Sounds and song

The fieldfare is characterised by a slightly squeaky repetitive call.

Song

Contact Call

Food and bird tables

Will visit the bird table from time to time.
During the summer season it will eat mostly worms, a variety of insects as well as green sprouts. During the autumn and winter: fruits, rowanberries and juniper berries make up the preferred diet.

The nest and hollows

When the fieldfare builds its nest, which takes a couple of days, it always chooses to place it in the top branches of a tree. It may also choose to place the nest on street signs, heaps of brushwood or possibly on top of a nesting box. The material used is old grass that the fieldfare shapes into a deep bowl together with mud. The female broods on the eggs for two weeks. Once the eggs have hatched the female and male both feed the hatchlings. The nest is forcefully defended against intruders, and the fieldfare is known to make steep dives and cascade droppings on whoever bothers the peace around the nest. Will breed in single couples, but also in colonies consisting of hundreds of couples.

Distribution

Summer  Resident  Winter