[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Turdidae | [latin] Turdus obscurus | [UK] Eyebrowed Thrush | [FR] Grive obscure | [DE] Weissbrauen-Drossel | [ES] Zorzal Rojigris | [NL] Vale Lijster
Subspecies
Monotypic species
Physical charateristics
Rather small and rakish thrush, with general character most like Redwing. Grey- to olive-brown above, with obvious white supercilium, eye-ring, and throat; upper breast grey but chest and flanks orange or buff, contrasting with white belly and vent. Underwing pale grey. Sexes closely similar.
| wingspan min.: | 36 | cm | wingspan max.: | 38 | cm |
| size min.: | 23 | cm | size max.: | 24 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 13 | days | incubation max.: | 15 | days |
| fledging min.: | 0 | days | fledging max.: | 15 | days |
| broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 4 | ||
| eggs max.: | 6 |
Range
Eurasia : East
Habitat
Breeds in upper middle and higher latitudes of east Palearctic, in continental boreal lowland and montane habitats, from fringe of taiga in larch to dense forests of spruce and fir, especially in sheltered valleys or near water. In winter, occurs in woods, open country, and gardens.
Reproduction
5 to 6 eggs are laid in a nest made of rootlets, grass, sticks, and bark, lined with soil and grass, and built in a tree fork from 1 to 5 meter above the ground. Incubation ranges from 13 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.
Feeding habits
Feeds on insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits. Forages on the ground beneath tall trees, hopping and stopping to jab vigorously at the ground or to pick up food; also gleans food from branches and foliage
Conservation
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Breeds in Siberia, Mongolia, Japan: reported in summer, but breeding not confirmed. Vagrant to Britain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Italy, Malta, Israel.
Migration
Migratory. Passes through Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, and China to winter in eastern India, Burma, Vietnam, southern China, and Japan south to Malay peninsula, Philippines, and Indonesia. Stragglers have reached Arabia and Alaska, as well as west Palearctic.
Distribution map
