“Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye Four and twenty blackbirds were baked in a pie When the pie was opened the birds began to sing Was not this a dainty dish to set before the king?” At least in the nursery rhyme  the blackbirds are alive. Here I explore the eating of this beloved songbird.

In September 1880 a Gosberton farmer had an effective solution to dealing with unscrupulous bailiffs.

Over time bird names and the their collective nouns have changed here are a few examples.