Turdus torquatus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus) 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.
The ring ouzel is omnivorous, eating invertebrates, particularly insects and earthworms, some small vertebrates, and a wide range of fruit. Most animal prey is caught on the ground. During spring migration and the breeding season, invertebrates dominate the adult's diet and are also fed to the chicks. Later in the year, fruit becomes more important, particularly the common juniper.
With an extensive range and a large population, the ring ouzel is evaluated as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are significant declines in several countries; suspected causes include climate change, human disturbance, hunting and outdoor leisure activities. Loss of junipers may also be a factor in some areas. Natural hazards include predation by mammalian carnivores and birds of prey, and locally there may also be competition from other large thrushes such as the common blackbird, mistle thrush and fieldfare. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Hohe Tauern National Park | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 3 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Tatra National Park | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | |
| 6 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 9 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 10 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 11 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 14 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 15 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 16 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ring Ouzel sighting in Liverpool on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 146th most-seen of the 168 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ring Ouzel in Liverpool on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ring Ouzel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Ring Ouzel sightings, Liverpool ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Birmingham (United Kingdom, under 5%).
Same genus: Turdus
The closest relatives of the Ring Ouzel that you can see in Liverpool (genus Turdus, Typical Thrushes) are Eurasian Blackbird (about 80%), Song Thrush (about 30%) and Mistle Thrush (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ring Ouzel is recorded against all the birds logged in Liverpool (15 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
