Eyebrowed Thrush
Turdus obscurus
A long, slightly curving white eyebrow gives this species an elegant, sophisticated appearance. Typically keeps to cover on the ground and in mid-levels of trees but occasionally ventures into the open to feed, particularly during migration. Alert and quick to flush. Adult male has gray head, brown back, and orange belly. Females are brownish overall with more faded orange on the underparts. Breeds in eastern Siberian forests, typically in damp areas near water, or areas with dense understory. Winters in more open habitats, such as parks, but not as fond of open spaces as blackbirds. Well-spaced song phrases consist of rich warbling and ringing buzzy whistles. Also gives a high, piercing “tsssst!”
Identification
This is an attractive thrush, with a grey back and head, the latter having a black eyeline, bordered white above and below. The breast and flanks are orange, and the belly white. The sexes are fairly similar, but immatures have a browner back.<p>The male has a simple whistling song, similar to the related mistle thrush.
Taxonomy
The eyebrowed thrush was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus and coined the binomial name Turdus obscurus. The scientific name comes from Latin Turdus meaning "thrush" and obscurus meaning "dark" or "dusky". Gmelin based his account on the "Dark thrush" that had been described in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham noted that "This is Sibirian species and found in the woods beyond Lake Baikal" but did not explain the source of his information. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Turdus obscurus
- Authority
- Gmelin, JF, 1789
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : c to se Russia
- Non-breeding range
- se Asia, Philippines, Greater Sundas, n Sulawesi and Flores (c Lesser Sundas)
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
It nests in trees, laying 4-6 eggs in a neat nest. Migrating birds and wintering birds often form small flocks. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms and berries.<p>In 2007 an eyebrowed thrush was sighted at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory in Jerusalem. This is the second recorded sighting in Israel; the first was at Eilat in October 1996.<p>In 2011, an eyebrowed thrush was sighted in Australia, near Malanda in Queensland. This is possibly the first confirmed sighting of the species on the Australian mainland.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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Small, compact diving duck with large head and small gray bill. Breeding males are black and white with large white patch on back of head. Females and immature males are gray-brown with white patch on cheek. Much smaller than Common Goldeneye with which it often associates. Found in bays, estuaries, reservoirs, and lakes in winter. Travels to boreal forest and nests in cavities in summer.
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