How to welcome the Ring Ouzel in Manchester, England, United Kingdom

About the Ring Ouzel

The ring ouzel is a mainly European member of the thrush family Turdidae. It is a medium-sized thrush, 23–24 centimetres (9.1–9.4 in) in length and weighing 90–138 grams (3.2–4.9 oz). The male is predominantly black with a conspicuous white crescent across its breast. Females are browner and duller than males, and young birds may lack the pale chest markings altogether. In all but the northernmost part of its range, this is a high-altitude species, with three subspecies breeding in mountains from Ireland east to Iran. It breeds in open mountain areas with some trees or shrubs, the latter often including juniper and other treeline conifers, rowan, bilberry, heather, and hairy alpenrose. It is a migratory bird, leaving the breeding areas to winter in southern Europe, North Africa and Turkey, typically in mountains with junipers. The typical clutch is 3–6 brown-flecked pale blue or greenish-blue eggs. They are incubated almost entirely by the female, with hatching normally occurring after 13 days. The altricial, downy chicks fledge in another 14 days and are dependent on their parents for about 12 days after fledging.

Source: Wikipedia

Ecological traits of the Ring Ouzel

• Nesting : semi-open nest box nester.
• Preferred feeder food : ground feeder, fresh fruit.

Three ways to help

• Install a nest box — Free species-tailored construction plans and video tutorials.
• Install a feeder — Choose the feeder and seeds based on the bird's feeding habits.
• Grow a natural pantry — Native local plants that sustainably feed this bird and biodiversity.

Other birds observed in Manchester

• Western Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
• Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
• Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
• Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
• Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus)
• Coal Tit (Periparus ater)

Sources and credits

• Observation data: eBird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, ebird.org)
• Source: Wikipedia