Dark-sided Thrush
Zoothera marginata
A dark sooty thrush with an unusually long bill. Dark brown overall with a pale crescent behind the ear and weak white spotting on the underparts. More uniformly dark than other similar brown thrushes in the region. Forages quietly in dense undergrowth, probing about with its long bill near water and rocky outcrops. Larger Long-billed Thrush has a much longer bill, a darker face, and is grayer overall. Gives quiet ghostly whistles which trail off quietly.
Identification
The dark-sided thrush is 24 to 25 cm (9.4–9.8 in) in length and weighs around 80 g (2.8 oz). It has a particularly long blackish bill and the plumage is a contrasting dark brown head with rufous-brown wings. The face has a white loral stripe and a white eyering with a whitish throat and chin. The call is a series of monotone thin whistles.
Taxonomy
Genus: Zoothera; Family: Turdidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Zoothera marginata
- Authority
- Blyth, 1847
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Zoothera
Range and habitat
The species has a discontinuous distribution in the eastern Himalayas, and then a population in the higher areas of Burma, northern Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the extreme south of China. The species is generally non-migratory but will move down from higher altitudes in winter, and has turned up as a vagrant in Bangladesh. It ranges from 750 to 2,100 m (2,460–6,890 ft) in broadleaf forests, particularly in damp areas and around rocky streams, also in areas of reed and bamboo in these forests. The species is not common anywhere, but is potentially often overlooked due to its cryptic plumage and retiring behaviour.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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