Family:
The dusky thrush is a medium-sized, stocky thrush that is similar to a small fieldfare. It has a dark brown back and rump, with a rufous wing panel and red under the wing. The underparts are white with dark spots on the breast and ‘V’ shapes on the flanks. On the head there is dark cap, and broad white bands above and below the eye. The bill is black with a yellow base on the lower mandible, and the legs and feet are pinky-brown. Males and females are similar, although females are slightly duller.
They are generally solitary birds, but during winter and migration can be found in large, loose flocks. They are very vocal with a chattering call, and musical, melancholy song consisting of a series of short whistles and trills.
It is closely related to Naumann’s thrush which breeds further north, although the two are sometimes thought to be conspecific.
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Dusky thrushes eat insects, worms, seeds, fruit, and berries. They forage while hopping on the ground, pausing often to look for food.
The dusky thrush breeds in northern Siberia in taiga, tundra, and steppeland. It winters in southeast Asia and can sometimes be found in Alaska during spring migration, where it can be found in fields and the edges of forests, as well as suburban habitats where there are lawns and fruit-bearing shrubs and trees.
