Birds and wildlife

Ring Ouzel

Turdus torquatusGroup: ThrushesUK Conservation status:Red

How to identify

Ring Ouzels are slightly smaller and slimmer than a Blackbird. Males have distinctive black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band. The Ring Ouzel is mostly an upland bird, where it breeds in steep sided-valleys, crags and gullies, from near sea level in the far north of Scotland up to 1,200m in the Cairngorms. Breeding begins in mid-April and continues through to mid-July, with two broods common. Nests are located on or close to the ground in vegetation (typically in heather), in a crevice, or sometimes in a tree. The young are fed a diet of mainly earthworms and beetles.

Call

Ring Ouzel

Christoph Bock / xeno-canto

Key features to look out for

  • Males have black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band
  • The breast band is more cream in females and other plumage more brown
  • Slightly smaller and slimmer than a Blackbird

Conservation status

The Ring Ouzel is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK, meaning it is in need of the most help. It could be threatened by climate change in the future.

Where and when to see them

Ring Ouzels are thrushes that migrate to the UK from Africa to breed. They arrive from late March, nesting in upland areas where they can have up to two broods before flying back to Africa in September.

To see a Ring Ouzel, you will most likely need to head for the hills, from Dartmoor to the Scottish mountains.

Difficulty rating - A challenge

A challenge – you’re likely going to need to climb a hill or mountain to see one.

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Behaviours

It breeds in steep sided-valleys, crags and gullies, up as high as 1,200 metres in the Cairngorms, which is why it is sometimes known as the Mountain Blackbird.

Call/song

Nowhere near as melodious as a Blackbird, but you might hear its telephone-like ‘ring, ring’ call.

Female Ring Ouzel perched on rock
Female Ring Ouzel
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Key facts