FIELDFARE 13 



may be of considerable size, though single birds or little groups of 

 two or three may sometimes be met with. The rather harsh note, 

 cha-cha-cha-chack, helps to identify flocks on the wing. 



Enemies. — Fieldfares not uncommonly fall victims to the (European) 

 sparrow hawk, goshawk, peregrine falcon, and other birds of prey. 

 In the breeding season their chief enemies are egg-robbing Corvidae, 

 but their bold disposition and colonial habits help to afford protection 

 to the nests and young. 



Fall and winter. — Something of the general habits of fieldfares in 

 their winter quarters has been indicated under "Behavior." In 

 hard weather, when other food is difficult to come by, the movements 

 of the flocks are much influenced by the supply of berries, and thick 

 old hedgerows are much frequented. At such times they will also 

 resort to root fields and feed upon swedes or turnips. At dusk num- 

 bers gather together to roost in company. It has been asserted that 

 they always or normally roost on the ground and only roost off it in 

 severe weather, or again in an equally sweeping manner that they 

 only roost on the ground of necessity when suitable shrubberies or 

 thickets are not available. Neither is correct. Both types of site 

 are resorted to regularly, and the birds may be found roosting, to 

 quote the summary given by the present writer in the "Handbook of 

 British Birds" (1938), in "rank grass amongst bushes or in young 

 plantations, amongst rushes and marsh plants or other ground vege- 

 tation in the open or in woods, in stubble, and in furrows of ploughed 

 fields; but also regularly in tall, thick hedgerows and shrubberies, 

 and even in trees, especially pines and evergreens." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range— The European breeding range is given by Jour- 

 dain (1938, vol. 2): "Norway to 71°, N. Sweden, Finland, Russia to 

 Petchora and east to Perm, south to Poltava, Kiev, Voronezh, Saratov 

 and Orenburg Govts., and south to Gotland and Oland, in Germany 

 south to Upper Bavaria, Switzerland, Austria, Czecho-Slovakia, Hun- 

 gary, and Poland. Has bred Faeroes: also occasionally in Holland 

 and E. France." In Siberia north to the mouth of the river Ob and 

 to 70K° on the river Yenisei, east to lake Baikal and the river Aldan, 

 south to Semipalatinsk and the Altai and Sayan Mountains. 



Winter range.— British Isles, central and southern Europe, but 

 rare in the Mediterranean region, though sometimes occurring in 

 Egypt and northwest Africa. Also in Persia, Transcaspia, Kirghiz 

 Steppes, and Turkestan and rarely in Asia Minor, Palestine, and 

 northwest India. 



Spring migration. — Leaves winter quarters rather late, parties in 

 May in the British Isles being not uncommon. Departure of winter 



