Page 443 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CHATS AND THRUSHES
Family Turdidae Species Zoothera sibirica Family Turdidae Species Turdus ruficollis
Siberian Thrush Dark-throated Thrush

Like the other Zoothera species,White’s Thrush, this The two forms, the Black-throated and the Red-
bird has bold black and white bands under the wings, throated, are both Blackbird-like (see p.311) with pale
sometimes visible as it flies off.Males are slate-grey, grey-brown backs and dull white underparts with
blacker on the face, with a white stripe over each eye, dusky streaking.The face and chest are black on male
a white belly, and white tips to the outer tail feathers; Black-throateds and dusky rust-red on Red-throateds.
immature males are duller. Females are brown, barred Immatures are streaked on the face and breast, with
with black crescent-shaped marks below, a hint of the black or red colour developing in males.
with a buff line over the eye and a The rump is a paler grey than the tail.
broader buff band under the cheeks. OCCURRENCE Both very rare in W Europe,
The white tail corners and banded in autumn/winter, from Asia.
underwings are distinctive. buff VOICE Fieldfare-like (see p.310)
OCCURRENCE Very rare band chacking calls. grey dark
vagrant in NW Europe under back chest
in autumn/winter, cheeks JUVENILE MALE
from Asia. (BLACK-THROATED)
VOICE Thin,
simple call, tsee.
dark crescent-
shaped marks
below
FEMALE

Length 20–21cm (8–8 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 34–36cm (13 1 ⁄2 –14in) Length 23–26cm (9–10in) Wingspan 37–40cm (14 1 ⁄2 –16in)

Family Turdidae Species Turdus obscurus Family Turdidae Species Turdus naumanni
Eyebrowed Thrush Dusky Thrush
A neat, smallish thrush, the Eyebrowed Thrush shares The two forms of this species are very different: the
the pale stripe over the eye with a Redwing (see p.308). “Dusky Thrush” has rich, dark upperparts, bold black
It has a white spot under the eye, and orange flanks and white face stripes, and white underparts spotted
and breast-band.The bill is yellowish at the base and black (concentrated in a breast-band and flank spots),
the legs look dull orange-yellow. The underside is and “Naumann’s Thrush” has orange-buff on the face,
more uniformly orange than any Redwing’s and orange spots on the underside, and a rusty rump and
entirely lacks streaks or spots.Adults have a grey tail. Both are obvious medium-large thrushes, bold
hood, more contrasted than the autumn immatures. and upright like a Song Thrush (see p.307), but shy
OCCURRENCE Rare autumn vagrant and likely to fly off low and fast if approached.
in NW Europe, from Siberia. OCCURRENCE Very rare vagrant in W Europe,
VOICE Thin, Redwing-like from Siberia, mostly in autumn/winter.
tseeee note. VOICE Rather hard, sharp alarm note.
pale stripe white
over eye spot white stripes
AUTUMN
under DUSKY FORM on face
eye

Length 21–23cm (8 1 ⁄2 –9in) Wingspan 36–38cm (14–15in) Length 20–23cm (8–9in) Wingspan 36–39cm (14–15 1 ⁄2in)
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