The ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus) is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae. The male ring ouzel is a handsome bird, sooty black with a broad white ring called a 'gorget' right across his chest that stands out like a beacon.. It is the mountain equivalent of the closely related common blackbird, and breeds in gullies, rocky areas or scree slopes. It breeds in the higher regions of western and central Europe and also in the Caucasus. Most populations are migratory, wintering in the Mediterranean region. The name ouzel was formerly applied to a closely related European blackbird. The dipper is often called water ouzel.
