Birds seen in our garden in France

As always, I hope that my identification is correct, please let me know if there should be any mistakes.

Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush. Both these photos are of the male. Its wonderful fluty song accompanies dawn and dusk in spring.  It feeds on fruits, earthworms which it flushes out in a very skilful way, and will eat sunflower seeds in winter. Very territorial in the breeding season, it is more gregarious in winter and small groups feed together. The nest is a masterpiece made of grass and mud, and lined with soft vegetation. The female builds the nest in about three days, in the fork of a tree, a hedge or a shrub.  Incubation is by the female, although sometimes the male replaces her for short moments.

The adult male has black and glossy plumage overall. Bill and eye-ring are yellow. The eyes are dark brown and the legs are blackish. The female is a bit more reddish-brown, slightly mottled with a paler tinge on the underparts. Her throat can be paler, separated from the face by an indistinct buffy-brown malar stripe. Bill is brownish with a yellow base. Eyes and legs are dark brown. 

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto). It is gregarious and you can see groups of several birds at bird-feeders in winter.   The construction of the nest does not lead to an artwork, but rather to a small loose platform made with some coarsely woven twigs, from where the eggs often fall. Incubation by both parents lasts about two weeks. The nest is usually in a tree, shrub, against the trunk, not always well hidden. Both sexes are similar, although the female may have a slightly browner head.

European green woodpecker (Picus viridis). I believe this to be a female.  Ants are their favourite food, it extracts ants and pupae from the deep galleries, thanks to the stout bill and long tongue. The tongue may be extended up to 10 cm in order to explore the galleries. Ants are caught with the sticky tip, but it also takes various insects, earthworms and snails, also plant matter such as fruits, berries and some seeds are also consumed.  It breeds in cavities, a hole in a tree or in a large branch. Both male and female excavate the hole, and this work may last two to four weeks. The cavity is situated in a dead tree or in soft living wood, at 2 to 10 metres above the ground. The nest includes a circular or oval entrance, a tunnel, and the nest-chamber is dug into the soft part of the wood. Most of the wood chips are removed from the hole with the bill. The floor of the nest is covered with wood chips. The female lays 5-8 eggs. Incubation lasts 14 to 17 days by both sexes. The male incubates mainly during the night. Chicks are fed by their parents by regurgitation.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). I think everyone knows most of the facts about the sparrow, this is a female

Common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs). This is a male I am sure everyone knows this bird as well, but did you know that the nest of a Chaffinch tends to be in a tree or shrub, made from moss, grass and feathers, all bound with spider's webs in a neat cup shape, and lined with wool and decorated with pieces of bark.

As above.

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) a well known little bird of the tit family, here it is on our window sill. It is a very common sight in our garden and will visit our feeder all through winter though we seldom see them in summer. It thinks nothing of tapping on the window if food is low 😉

Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), it is the largest of the Columbidae European species. Very well known. It feeds both on the ground and in trees. It consumes plant matter and invertebrates, and is able to reach fruits in trees. The nest is placed between 1, 5 and 2, 5 metres above the ground in a tree fork, on a branch, or in a creeper.  It is made with twigs and lined with grasses and leaves, and finer twigs. It is often reused and may become bulkier after several broods. The incubation lasts 16-17 days by both parents.

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