Medium-sized bird (about 25 cm or 10 in) with pitch black plumage, orange bill and eye-ring of the same colour. The female is dark brown and her bill is dark yellow or brown. Agile and direct flight, at low altitude, normally among bushes. Very terrestrial habits. On the ground, it gets around by jumping and usually raises its tail.
Woodland environment and scrubland
Generalist species that occupies many different habitats. Present especially in areas with forest cover and scrub, agricultural mosaics, olive groves, crops that are not very arid, park and gardens, thickets, orchards and wetlands.
Bird resident in Malaga all year round. The breeding starts at the beginning of March. It makes between two and three annual layings of 3 to 5 eggs. Nest in trees, hedges and shrubs. This bird feeds on earthworms, snails and insects. In autumn it also consumes berries and fruits.
Common and frequent species throughout the Great Path.
"Mirlas", as these birds are known in Malaga, are the ones that begin to sing earlier, usually before the sun comes up. Especially in spring and summer they are the alarm clocks of a good part of the inhabitants of villages and rural areas of Malaga. When they fly and are scared, frightened by some risky situation, they usually emit a sound that seems a very characteristic cackle.
- Altos de Hondonero
- Arroyo de la Ventilla
- Camino de la Fuenfría
- Costa del Sol Occidental
- El Alcázar - La Maroma
- El Cerro de Santi Petri
- Fuente de los 100 Caños
- Fuente del Acebuche
- Genal and Guadiaro rivers junction
- Genil River banks
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 09. Periana - Riogordo
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 01. Málaga - Rincón de la Victoria
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 03. Vélez-Málaga - Torrox
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 04. Torrox - Nerja
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 05. Nerja - Frigiliana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 06. Frigiliana - Cómpeta
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 07. Cómpeta - Canillas de Aceituno
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 08. Canillas de Aceituno - Periana
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 10. Riogordo - Alfarnate
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 11. Alfarnate - Villanueva del Rosario
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 12. Villanueva del Rosario - Archidona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 13. Archidona - Villanueva de Tapia
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 14. Villanueva de Tapia - Villanueva de Algaidas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 15. Villanueva de Algaidas - Cuevas Bajas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 16. Cuevas Bajas - Alameda
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 17. Alameda - Fuente de Piedra
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 18. Fuente de Piedra - Campillos
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 19. Campillos - Embalses del Guadalhorce
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora)
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 22. Ardales - El Burgo
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 24. Ronda - Estación de Benaoján
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 25. Estación de Benaoján - Jimera de Líbar
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 26. Jimera de Líbar - Benalauría
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 27. Benalauría - Genalguacil
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 28. Genalguacil - Casares
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 29. Casares - Estepona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 30. Estepona - Marbella
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 31. Marbella - Ojén
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 32. Ojén - Mijas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 33. Mijas - Benalmádena
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 34. Benalmádena - Alhaurín de la Torre
- Hoz de Marín
- Lagunas de Campillos
- Llanos de Líbar
- Los Llanos de Antequera – Cartaojal – La Sarteneja
- Montes de Malaga Natural Park
- Mouth of the Guadalhorce Nature Reserve
- Quejigales - Puerto de Los Pilones
- Refugio de Juanar
- Río del Burgo
- Río Guadalmina
- Río Jorox
- Sierra de Mollina y Laguna de la Ratosa
- Sierra del Padrastro
- Tajos del Fraile, Doña Ana y Gómer
- The Mouth of Rio Velez
- Valley of Genal River
- Valley of the Guadalhorce River
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |