The species blackbird (Turdus merula), song thrush (Turdus philomelos), juniper thrush (Turdus pilaris) and redwing (Turdus musicus) are birds of prey during the grape harvest because they like to eat the grapes and can cause major damage. They prefer to eat the grapes from the ground, which they peck at. Unlike starlings, however, these birds do not appear in large flocks, so that crop loss is limited. The long-legged birds are 20 to 25 centimetres tall, have a pointed beak and relatively large eyes. They are so-called partial migrants; in addition to the larger numbers migrating south in winter, some also stay in the country.

Blackbird: by Kathy Büscher on Pixabay
Thrush: Public domain, Link
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