Dusky Thrush - BirdForum Opus

Disambiguation: this page is for the split version of Dusky Thrush. Subspecies naumanni is now found in Naumann's Thrush

Male
Photo © by letsbefrank
Tonboike Park, Kishiwada, Japan, 24 January 2016

Turdus eunomus

Identification

Female or immature male
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Niijuku, Tonosho, Katori District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, 11 February 2019

23–25 cm (9-9¾ in)
Male

• Dark brown upperside with some black spots and an obvious rufous wing panel and rump
• Obvious pale supercilium and throat
• malar area pale in male but more contrasting dark and pale in female (not all individuals can be reliably sexed)
• Underside white with dark spots producing a band across upper breast and down flanks
• Underwing almost entirely buffy-rufous

Females are similar but have a less contrasting dull gray back and crown.

Similar Species

Will remind a European observer of a Redwing, but is larger, has stronger bill, longer tail, darker crown and auriculars, and rufous wing panel, while lacking the reddish flanks.

Distribution

Found in summer in northern Asia, mainly Siberia; winters to Japan, Korea, southern China and Myanmar. Generally, Dusky Thrush occurs more northerly then Naumann's Thrush.

Dusky Thrush has occurred as vagrant in Europe and Britain.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species¹.

Dusky Thrush has recently been split from Naumann’s Thrush Turdus naumanni. Hybrids do occur and are not too rare around Beijing³.

Habitat

Breeds in coniferous and broad-leaf forest and scrub.

Behaviour

Breeding

They nest in trees at about 5 meters above ground. The clutch consists of 3-5 eggs which are laid in a loose cup nest formed from grass, twigs and moss held together with mud.

Diet

The diet consists of insect larvae, locusts, beetles and seeds.

Vocalisation

Voice is very similar to Naumann's Thrush

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Knox, A.G. et al. 2008. Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: Fifth report. Ibis, 150, 833–835
3. Thread in Id Forum; see especially posts 5 and 6
4. Beaman, M., S. Madge, K.M. Olsen. 1998. Fuglene i Europa, Nordafrika og Mellemøsten. Copenhagen, Denmark: Gads Forlag, ISBN 87-12-02276-4
5. Collar, N. & de Juana, E. (2019). Dusky Thrush (Turdus eunomus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/58257 on 27 March 2019).
6. Brazil, M. (2018). Birds of Japan. Helm, London. ISBN 978-1-4729-1386-9
7. Clement, P. & Hathway, R. (2000) Thrushes. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton.

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Dusky Thrush. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Dusky_Thrush

External Links

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