Csaba Daróczi's Image

One summer evening, Csaba waited for the last birds of the day near his woodland pond. As dusk fell, a blackbird flew in and stood alert for a few seconds – long enough for Csaba to compose this minimalist portrait. The bird’s bright beak and eye-ring penetrated the darkness, its form barely visible in the shadows.

The Eurasian blackbird has large eyes relative to its body size – a trait that allows it to find food at low light levels. Its eyes are positioned on the sides of its head, which gives it excellent peripheral vision. As a result, it must cock its head to catch sight of prey. Originally woodland birds, blackbirds now visit forests, farmland and gardens.