What Does an Ouzel Look Like?

Ouzel, also spelled Ousel, also called Ring-ouzel, (species Turdus torquatus), a thrush of the family Turdidae (order Passeriformes), characterized by a white crescent on the breast. A blackish bird, 24 cm (9.5 inches) long, it breeds locally in uplands from Great Britain and Norway to the Middle East.

What does a Ring Ouzel bird look like?

Ring ouzels are roughly the size and shape of a blackbird. Males are mostly black, with a broad white crescent across the breast and white edging to the wings and some body feathers, which gives them a scaly look. Females are similar, but the black is often more brownish, and the white parts duller.

What do ring Ouzels eat?

A mosaic of heather, grassland and bracken provides the best conditions for ring ouzels. They often fly down to in-bye pastures to feed if there is insufficient short grassland on the nearby hills. During the breeding season, they eat earthworms, leatherjackets, insects and spiders.