Rare moment orphaned blackbird chick 'adopted' by mistle thrush in new footage

PHOTOGRAPHER ANDREW FUSEK-PETERS CAPTURED THE RARE PHENOMENON, KNOWN AS 'INTERSPECIFIC FEEDING' ON A PADDOCK IN LYDBURY NORTH, SHROPS., EARLIER THIS MONTH 08:04, 22 May 2025 In a

touching display of feathered camaraderie, an orphaned blackbird chick found itself 'adopted' by a mistle thrush in Shropshire, marking a rare instance of 'interspecific

feeding'. The heartwarming scene was beautifully captured by photographer Andrew Fusek-Peters, who snapped the endangered thrush as it dutifully fed its chicks and then tenderly

extended a worm to the eager blackbird fledgling. The baby blackbird, seemingly waiting patiently for its turn, was photographed fluffing up its feathers before happily accepting the meal

from the thrush's beak. READ MORE: FIRST PICTURE OF VAPE SHOP KILLER Capturing this behaviour, which took place in a paddock at Lydbury North, left Andrew, 59, stating: "It's

such a rare thing to see let alone photograph." He continued to express his awe, mentioning: "It is known to happen but it almost never photographed - and I've not known of a

mistle thrush and a blackbird doing this before." Article continues below Andrew speculated on the circumstances leading to this unusual event, saying: "It's possible the

blackbird chick was abandoned by its mother or its mother died leaving it an orphan baby." He described the instinctual process, noting: "When the chick opens its mouth, it

triggers a maternal response in nearby female birds." Not only did the blackbird get a meal, but it also served as a subject for a unique photograph, as Andrew explained: "The

blackbird was sitting with its beak open ready and the mistle thrush was close by." Andrew elucidated further: "It fed its own chick first and then the blackbird." Reflecting

on his discovery, he said: "I looked it up and it's never been captured on camera before." Initially fooled by appearances, he recounted: "I thought it was a very dark

thrush baby at first, then I realised it's actually a blackbird." Andrew provided some insight into the rarity of the thrush species, stating: "The mistle thrush is quite a

rare bird anyway and they're normally very shy." Describing the proximity to the rare event, he concluded: "I was only five yards away in my neighbour's paddock, I could

get quite close because they aren't bothered by humans. "Obviously the chicks are only a few weeks old. "It looks like they're feeding this baby blackbird a worm. Article

continues below "When fledglings leave the nest the parents will keep feeding them. The chicks will keep being fed by the parents. "I can't get over how unbelievably rare

this is to capture. It was such a special moment."