Ring Ouzels are slightly smaller and slimmer than a Blackbird. Males have distinctive black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band. The Ring Ouzel is mostly an upland bird, where it breeds in steep sided-valleys, crags and gullies, from near sea level in the far north of Scotland up to 1,200m in the Cairngorms. Breeding begins in mid-April and continues through to mid-July, with two broods common. Nests are located on or close to the ground in vegetation (typically in heather), in a crevice, or sometimes in a tree. The young are fed a diet of mainly earthworms and beetles.