ID Keys: Brown back and wings, dark gray nape and crown, dark face,
white supercillium and throat, white unperparts with dark chevon-shaped
spots
The
Dusky Thrush is primarily an Asian bird, breeding in Siberia and wintering
in Southeastern Asia. They are a rare vagrant in North America, with
most records from islands and the coastline of Alaska. Some
classification schemes show two species, Turdus naumanni, "Naumann's
Thrush" and Turdus eunomus, "Dusky Thrush" which is found further
north than Naumann's Thrush. The American Birding Association only
recognizes one species, named Dusky Thrush with scientific name of
Turdus naumanni. In addition to being vagrants in North America,
the species has also on rare occasions been found as far west as Europe.
Habitat
The Dusky Thrush breeds in open boreal forests, taiga, forest edges, river valleys, and shrubby woodland habitats across Siberia and northeastern Asia. During migration and winter, it frequents woodland edges, parks, gardens, orchards, agricultural fields, hedgerows, riparian areas, and brushy habitats, often favoring open areas with scattered trees and abundant fruit-bearing shrubs.
Diet
The Dusky Thrush feeds on a variety of insects, worms, spiders, and other small invertebrates during the breeding season. In fall and winter, it relies heavily on berries, fruits, and other plant material, often foraging in orchards, hedgerows, gardens, and woodland edges where fruit is abundant.
Behavior
Foraging is done in the same fashion as many other Turdus thrushes. Dusky Thrush primarily forage on the ground, walking and hopping short distances with periodic pauses as they look for prey.
Nesting
The nest is a cup of grasses, moss, and twigs, bound together with mud and lined with fine grasses and moss. The female lays between 3 and 6 eggs, and she alone incubates them. The eggs hatch after about 2 weeks, and both parents help to feed and raise the young. The young fledge after about 15 days.
Song
The Dusky Thrush gives a rich, melodious song composed of clear whistles, flutelike phrases, and varied musical notes, typical of many thrushes. Calls include sharp chack, and rattling alarm notes that are often heard during migration and winter.
Migration
The Dusky Thrush breeds across Siberia and northeastern Asia and is a long-distance migrant. After breeding, it moves south to winter primarily in China, Japan, Korea, and other parts of eastern Asia. During migration and winter, it commonly uses woodland edges, agricultural areas, parks, orchards, and fruit-bearing thickets. In North America, the species is an exceptionally rare vagrant, occurring only occasionally in Alaska and along the Pacific Coast.
Dusky Thrush will on occasion attend feeders for offered fruits and nut meal.
Similar Species
Distinctive if seen well. Potentially confused with the Eyebrowed Thrush , another rare Asian vagrant, but aside from general structure and the prominent white supercillium on both species, plumage differences should be distinctive on well-seen birds.
Conservation Status
The Dusky Thrush is generally considered a species of low conservation concern. It has a large breeding range across northern Asia and remains common in many parts of its range during both the breeding and wintering seasons. Although local populations may be affected by habitat changes, hunting pressure in some regions, and environmental degradation, the species is currently regarded as widespread and secure overall. The IUCN lists the Dusky Thrush as a species of "Least Concern".
Photo Information
Photo by KazKuro - Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License
