Pest alert

Biosecurity Queensland A common blackbird could be in your area. Call Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 if you see this pest. Agriculture, Fisheries Forestry and • Males are black and have a distinctive orange to yellow bill and eye-ring. • Females are greyish-brown and have a dull yellow-brown bill. • They are aggressive and compete with native . • A pest in orchards, vineyards and market gardens. Department of • Early detection helps protect Queensland’s natural environment.

Common blackbird, male, breeding, yellow bill and eye ring Common blackbird, female, with dull yellow eye ring and (Photos courtesy Graeme Chapman, 2007, used with permission) yellowish-brown bill Common blackbird (Turdus merula) Description Blackbirds have infiltrated South East Queensland with breeding reported in Toowoomba and Highfields. The introduced common blackbird (Turdus merula) is approximately 25 cm from head to tail and most obvious Declaration details during spring and summer when the breeding males sing from vantage points. Blackbirds are prohibited wildlife under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and cannot be legally kept The male is black with a bright orange to yellow bill and in Queensland. eye-ring. The female has dark grey-brown upper parts and mottled, light grey-brown underparts, a paler chin Blackbirds are not declared under the Land Protection and dull brownish-yellow bill. Juveniles are similar to (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 and therefore females, with lighter underparts and streaked crown. there is no legal obligation on landholders to control them. Blackbirds are superficially similar to the What should I do? (Sturnus vulgaris). In summer, adult starlings have If you think you have seen blackbirds in Toowoomba, iridescent black and yellow bills. In winter, they Highfields or anywhere else in South East Queensland, have black bills, and whitish feather tips giving them a please contact the Blackbird Hotline on 4699 4365 finely spotted appearance. By comparison, blackbirds are or 4633 0553. 4–5 cm longer, males have yellow eye-rings and a duller, uniformly black plumage all year round. Further information Blackbirds have a high, fine ‘tseee’ contact call, a Further information is available from your local distinctive song, and a harsh, almost screeching chatter government office, or by contacting Biosecurity of alarm when in flight. To hear their call, visit the Queensland (call 13 25 23 or visit our website Toowoomba Observers website at at www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au). www.toowoombabirdobservers.org