Laurence Alder
- Feb 12, 2021
- 4 min read

Fieldfare | Turdus Pilaris

Updated: Feb 13, 2021

Good morning, good evening, good afternoon. I am here with you today to introduce the second bird that has inspired some of the artwork within the Winter Bird Collection, the Fieldfare. I was compelled to use this bird as a source of inspiration due to the gorgeous blend of brown, blue grey and that shocking bit of orange.

The Winter Bird Collection takes inspiration from birds that call the United Kingdom their home for the winter. At the end of all blog posts there will be a sources section where you can do further reading and look at the sources of where I collected this information.

Don't forget 10% of the profits from the Winter Bird Collection get donated to RSPB. One of Britain's largest conservation charities.

FIELDFARE, A BRIEF INTRO

Scientific Name: Turdus Pilaris Average Size (Height): 25cm Average Wingspan: 39-42cm

Average Lifespan: 5-10 Years

Status: Threatened

THE NAME GAME

Excuse me! I see you. Yes you, sniggering at the Latin name of the Fieldfare. Don't worry, I am chuckling a little but too! But, now now, settle down.

The term 'Turdus' actually relates to the word 'Thrush', and not that kind either darlings, we're talking about birds here. The thrush is the family that the Fieldfare belongs to, think Blackbirds and Redwings. The 'pilaris' part of the name roughly translates to the latin word for 'hair.'

However, in the U.K, the word Fieldfare actually comes from an Anglo Saxon word: 'fledware.' This means 'traveller of the fields', and I think that is completely endearing. I take all the hilarity back, what a beautiful name.

MIGRATIONS

The Fieldfare is a rather popular bird within the U.K, most of us have heard of one, however they only frequent to our country in the winter. Much like other birds that we have looked at during this project, the Fieldfare nests and breeds in Northern and Eastern Europe; their native home is in Scandinavia.

They start to arrive in Western Europe and the U.K. towards October time and bid us farewell towards March. You can usually find the Fieldfare, whilst in the UK, in wooded areas and dense bushes in the country side. You wouldn't usually see the Fieldfare visiting the garden, unless the winter is particularly bad with snow.

You'll usually see them migrating and nesting in flocks, so they can all be on the look out for predators.

A HANDSOME CHAP

Yes, I do find the Fieldfare an utterly handsome bird. The colours and the shape of the bird are completely gorgeous and compelling; they look well kept and extremely trim. This really makes it sound like I am conducting a Tinder profile for the Fieldfare. I wish. What a world (and what an odd blog) that would be?!

Anyway, swiftly moving on to the look of the Fieldfare. They are quite big, prominent birds with striking details. Their dark brown back, blue grey head, spotted black breast with orange and beige is a stunning concoction of colours. The colours are the main reason I was originally drawn to the bird.

The patterns too, are beautiful. Under their belly you can see a chocolate brown chevron pattern on a base of soft beige, created by their feathers. I have tried to capture these colours within my weaving, and have showcased how the patterns and shades can work together in perfect harmony.

A DISTINCTIVE CALL

The Fieldfare has an almost husky sound to its call, making it a very distinctive sound. It is quick, repetitive and quite loud which will make it stand out from the crowd. You can listen to their call here.

FIRE AT WILL

Now, this is a rather interesting turn of events. The Fieldfare will actually dive-bomb at predators or things they feel threatened by, and shoot poo at them. I mean I really think that the Fieldfare is living up to it's Latin name here. So, a bit of advice, do not try and approach a Fieldfare nest.

Their nesting sites are usually within a colony, which can include some of their pals like the Blackbird and the Redwing. Usually their nests are made up of a cup of twigs and grasses; they can be found within a dense bush or heavily wooded land. Their nests can hold up to 5-6 eggs and will breed once or twice throughout their life time.

RED LIST SPECIES

Unfortunately, Fieldfares are under threat and are classed as a red list species. They are even protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This is as a direct effect of climate change, as some years our winters can be just as unbearable as those in Eastern Europe. This significantly effects the abundance of food and berries available for the Fieldfare here in the UK.

The building of new roads, tracks and pathways can also effect this spectacular species of thrush. Fieldfares are used to nesting in dense areas of woodland or hedge-ways, however these are being cut down and through, causing habitat fragmentation. This is something that the Woodland Trust & the RSPB are trying to fight.

DONATE

With each sale made within the Winter Bird Collection 10% of profits are donated to the RSPB. They are one of the largest conservation charities within the UK. To find out more about their work or to donate to the charity please visit their website.