Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis breeds northern and western Xinjiang from Altai south to Kunlun. Breeders in Russian Far East also traverse west, central, and Northeast China to wintering grounds in southeast Tibet and western Yunnan. HABITAT Evergreen forest, to 3000 m (9,840 ft.). In winter in more open areas, such as scrubby hillsides and gardens. ID & COMPARISON Formerly considered conspecific with Red-throated Thrush T. ruficollis. Male grey, black, and white, the colors contrasting neatly. Face black, greyer in winter. Upper breast black. Lower breast and belly white, with shadow of grey spotting. Faint supercilium. Ashy-grey from forehead to rump; wings and tail darker. Female lightly streaked on flanks, spotted on breast. Underwing red. First-winter female similar to Red-throated Thrush but lacks red in tail and warm tones on breast. BARE PARTS Bill yellow, tipped black. Feet brownish. VOICE Song slow, fluty. Alarm call throaty, harsh. — Craig Brelsford
THE TRUE THRUSHES OF CHINA
shanghaibirding.com has research on all 24 species in the genus Turdus in China. Click any link:
Chinese Thrush Turdus mupinensis
Song Thrush T. philomelos
Mistle Thrush T. viscivorus
Chinese Blackbird T. mandarinus
Redwing T. iliacus
Common Blackbird T. merula
Grey-winged Blackbird T. boulboul
Tickell’s Thrush T. unicolor
Black-breasted Thrush T. dissimilis
Japanese Thrush T. cardis
Grey-backed Thrush T. hortulorum
Eyebrowed Thrush T. obscurus
Pale Thrush T. pallidus
Grey-sided Thrush T. feae
Brown-headed Thrush T. chrysolaus
Tibetan Blackbird T. maximus
White-backed Thrush T. kessleri
Fieldfare T. pilaris
Black-throated Thrush T. atrogularis
Red-throated Thrush T. ruficollis
Dusky Thrush T. eunomus
Naumann’s Thrush T. naumanni
Chestnut Thrush T. rubrocanus
White-collared Blackbird T. albocinctus
See also:
Taiwan Thrush Turdus niveiceps
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Daniel Bengtsson served as chief ornithological consultant for Craig Brelsford’s Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of China, from which this species description is drawn.
