Fieldfares visit the UK from Scandinavia each autumn, forming large flocks on farmland and orchards where berries and invertebrates sustain them through cold months.
During periods of prolonged frost or snow cover, fieldfares face acute starvation risk as berry crops become inaccessible. Orchards with unpicked windfall fruit are critical refugia. Disturbance of feeding flocks at these sites carries significant welfare costs as birds must expend energy relocating.