Turdus torquatus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ring Ouzel sighting in Hohe Tauern National Park on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 40th most-seen of the 63 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Ring Ouzel in Hohe Tauern National Park on a given day, against about 10% in June–October and December, the lowest months. January–March and November have too few records to rate.
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 16 parks where we can rate Ring Ouzel sightings, Hohe Tauern National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Vanoise National Park (France, about 20%).
Same genus: Turdus
The closest relatives of the Ring Ouzel that you can see in Hohe Tauern National Park (genus Turdus, Typical Thrushes) are Mistle Thrush (about 40%), Eurasian Blackbird (about 40%) and Song Thrush (about 20%), 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 Hohe Tauern National Park (34 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
