Birds that are common in towns have adaptations that enable them to cope with changes brought about by people

Birds such as gulls and blackbirds have developed such a diverse diet that they can inhabit a wide range of environments. The blackbird is a recent immigrant with a variety of adaptations that suit it to a wide range of environments. It can be found in places as diverse as towns, cities, orchards, farms and remote forests, from the sea to mountaintops.

Its short, pointed beak is ideal for eating many kinds of berries and fruit and for flicking away leaves in search of insects and worms. This wide and omnivorous diet means that the blackbird can avoid competition with other species for the same foods. The blackbird nests in trees out of the reach of predators and can lay eight eggs a year. During nesting and fledging of its young, it is fiercely territorial – a behavioural adaptation that has the effect of protecting food supplies. Birds with a narrow diet must live within a more limited range.

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