Diagnostic white collar of White-collared Blackbird Turdus albocinctus makes identifying this thrush-in-a-tux a simple matter. Southern and eastern Tibet and western Sichuan form part of Himalayan range. HABITAT Locally common summer visitor to conifer and rhododendron forests and high alpine meadows, to 4000 m (13,120 ft.). ID Male has distinct white collar, contrasting with otherwise black plumage. Collar of female dirtier, other plumage brown to rufous. Juveniles have scales and streaks and lack collar; males are darker. BARE PARTS Bill, eye-ring, and feet yellow. VOICE Song sad, less complex than Common Blackbird T. merula. Robust alarm call. — 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.
