Editing Common blackbird (section)

==Distribution and habitat==
The common blackbird breeds in temperate Eurasia, North Africa, the [[Canary Islands]], and South Asia. It has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand.<ref name = Clement/> Populations are [[sedentism|sedentary]] in the south and west of the range, although northern birds [[bird migration|migrate]] south as far as northern Africa and tropical Asia in winter.<ref name= Clement >{{cite book |title=Thrushes (Helm Identification Guides) |last= Clement |first= Peter |author2= Hathway, Ren|author3=Wilczur, Jan |publisher=Christopher Helm Publishers Ltd.|year=2000 |isbn= 0-7136-3940-7}}</ref> Urban males are more likely to [[overwinter]] in cooler climes than rural males, an adaptation made feasible by the warmer microclimate and relatively abundant food that allow the birds to establish territories and start reproducing earlier in the year.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Partecke | first1 = J. | last2 = Gwinner | first2 = E.| year = 2007 | title = Increased sedentariness in European blackbirds following urbanization: a consequence of local adaptation? | journal = Ecology | volume = 88 | issue = 4| pages = 882–90|pmid=17536705 | doi = 10.1890/06-1105 | bibcode = 2007Ecol...88..882P }}</ref> Recoveries of blackbirds ringed on the [[Isle of May]] show that these birds commonly migrate from southern Norway (or from as far north as [[Trondheim]]) to Scotland, and some onwards to Ireland. Scottish-ringed birds have also been recovered in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden.<ref>Eggeling W. J. (1960) ''The Isle of May: a Scottish nature reserve''. Oliver and Boyd. p. 108.</ref> Female blackbirds in Scotland and the north of England migrate more (to Ireland) in winter than do the males.<ref>Snow D. (1958) ''A Study of Blackbirds''. George Allen & Unwin. p. 173.</ref>

Common over most of its range in woodland, the common blackbird has a preference for deciduous trees with dense undergrowth. However, gardens provide the best breeding habitat with up to 7.3 pairs per hectare (nearly three pairs per acre), with woodland typically holding about a tenth of that density, and open and very built-up habitats even less.<ref name = Snow>{{cite book |title=A Study of Blackbirds |last= Snow |first= David |publisher= British Museum (Natural History) |year=1988 |isbn= 0-565-01021-2}}</ref> They are often replaced by the related [[ring ouzel]] in areas of higher altitude.<ref name=Observerbirdseggs>{{cite book |title=The Observer's Book of Birds' Eggs|author=Evans G|page=78|year=1972 |publisher=Warne |location=London |isbn=0-7232-0060-2}}</ref> The common blackbird also lives in parks, gardens and hedgerows.<ref>{{cite book |last=Holden |first=Peter|date=2012 |title=RSPB Handbook Of British Birds |pages=225 |isbn=978-1-4081-2735-3}}</ref>

The common blackbird occurs at elevations of up to {{cvt|1,000|m|ft}} in Europe, {{cvt|2,300|m|ft}} in North Africa, and at {{cvt|900|–|1,820|m|ft}} in peninsular India and Sri Lanka, but the large Himalayan subspecies range much higher, with ''T.&nbsp;m. maximus'' breeding at {{cvt|3,200|–|4,800|m|ft}} and remaining above {{cvt|2,100|m|ft}} even in winter.<ref name=Clement/>

This widespread species has occurred as a vagrant in many locations in Eurasia outside its normal range, but records from North America are normally considered to involve escapees, including, for example, the 1971 bird in [[Quebec]].<ref name = McNeil >{{cite journal|last=McNeil |first=Raymond |author2=Cyr, André |date=October 1971 |title=General Notes: European Blackbird (''Turdus merula'') in Quebec |journal= The Auk |volume=88 |issue= 4|pages= 919–920 |url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v088n04/p0919-p0920.pdf|doi=10.2307/4083850|jstor=4083850 }}</ref> However, a 1994 record from [[Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador|Bonavista, Newfoundland]], has been accepted as a genuine wild bird,<ref name = Clement/> and the species is therefore on the [[List of birds of North America|North American list]].<ref name =AOU>{{cite web|title= The A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds|edition= Seventh |work= Check-list of North American Birds |url= http://www.aou.org/checklist/index.php3 |publisher= AOU|access-date=14 December 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071211170240/http://www.aou.org/checklist/index.php3| archive-date = December 11, 2007}}</ref>