RING OUZELS
VISIT THE CRAGS, gullies and steep valleys of our uplands over spring and summer, and you may spot the ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus), a migratory member of the thrush family that returns to Britain each year after wintering in Spain or north-west Africa. Here, they nest at high altitudes from mid-April to mid-July in heathery vegetation or crevices, the female crafting this home for two broods from plant matter and mud. They return to the same spot each year where the male sings from prominent crags and boulders, claiming a territory with pleasant, simple song calls. Once dubbed the fell or mountain blackbird, the ring ouzel is in fact smaller than a blackbird despite its longer tail. The male dresses to impress with a white crescent across its breast, whilst female plumage is brown against the male’s black,and slightly duller. Ring ouzels find their food – a diet of insects, earthworms and fruit – close to the ground, and can usually be seen in pairs or small groups. Small but hardy, they make their home from near sea level in the far north of Scotland, up to 1200m in the Cairngorms, as well as in the Southern Uplands. In England, they also frequent Dartmoor, Eryri/ Snowdonia and other upland areas. Globally, the ring ouzel is listed as being of ‘Least Concern’ as it is only declining in Britain. But here, it is classified as Red Listed due to a 43 per cent population decline in the last 40 years. It is suspected this decrease is related to changes to its habitat.
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