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 races breeding in mountains from Ireland east to Iran. It breeds in open mountain areas with some trees or shrubs, the latter often including heather, conifers, beech, hairy alpenrose or juniper. It is a migratory bird, leaving the breeding areas to winter in southern Europe, North Africa and Turkey, typically in mountains with juniper bushes. 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 signs of decline in several countries; suspected causes including 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.
^BirdLife International. (2019) [amended version of 2018 assessment]. "Turdus torquatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T22708768A155629409. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22708768A155629409.en. Retrieved 2021-06-14.
The ringouzel (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)...
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The ouzel usage survived later in poetry, and still occurs as the name of the closely related ringouzel (Turdus torquatus), and in water ouzel, an alternative...
important habitat components for the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and ringouzel (Turdus torquatus). The peregrine, which is threatened with extinction...
area was colonised in 1990–1991. It is often replaced by the related ringouzel in areas of higher altitude. It is migratory, wintering in western, central...
also supports a variety of upland-habitat birds, including raven and ringouzel. Birds of prey include the merlin, hen harrier and the red kite, a national...
harrier, merlin, golden plover, curlew, skylark, meadow pipit, whinchat, ringouzel, and twite. Other species dominate in moorlands elsewhere. Reptiles are...
rare birds and animals, such as the Eurasian golden plover, red grouse, ringouzel and mountain hare. Rare species of plants such as common cottongrass,...
the Brocken. For example, the water pipit (Anthus aquaticus) and the ringouzel both breed in the area around the summit. The viviparous lizard occurs...
including red grouse, Eurasian curlew, peregrine falcon and the rare ringouzel. Recently, a project called Back to Purple has commenced, to clear some...
Western capercaillie black grouse Eurasian hoopoe mistle thrush song thrush ringouzel fieldfare redwing common blackbird Eurasian wren wallcreeper common starling...
the United Kingdom, Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Ringouzel Turdus torquatus western and central Europe and also in the Caucasus and...
include golden plover, snipe, curlew, dunlin, merlin, short-eared owl, ringouzel and twite, though many of these are at the southern limit of their distributions...
Ptarmigan Common raven Red grouse Red kite (reintroduced) Red-throated diver Ringouzel Scottish crossbill — endemic Common snipe Snow bunting European stonechat...
as skylark and common snipe, or are even rare nationally, such as the ringouzel and the cuckoo. There are internationally important populations of meadow...
is not described as a foreign word. Other possibilities are that is a RingOuzel or a Masked Shrike. He also writes about two other Indian birds. One of...
for wildlife including fallow deer and common buzzard, plus visiting ringouzel and common crossbill. Clent appears in the Domesday Book as "Klinter"...
buzzard, dipper, peregrine and common raven. Seasonal birds include the ringouzel and the common redstart. The lakes of the Lake District support three...
bog; 80% of England's black grouse (and also breeding short-eared owl, ringouzel, common snipe and common redshank); 36% of the AONB designated as Sites...
falcon, Eurasian curlew, European stonechat, dipper, Dartford warbler and ringouzel. Black grouse and red grouse are now extinct on Exmoor, probably as a...
plateaux include breeding ptarmigan, dotterel, snow bunting, golden eagle, ringouzel and red grouse, with snowy owl, twite, purple sandpiper and Lapland bunting...
Valley area. Clun Castle is located near Clun. Peregrine falcon Dipper Ringouzel Merlin Curlew Tree sparrow Pied flycatcher Barn owl Red fox Badger Red...
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