Black-throated Thrush

The Black-throated Thrush, Turdus atrogularis, presents itself as a large and distinctive member of the thrush family. The male is particularly striking with a bold black throat extending to its breast, complemented by a greyish black tail. Its upperparts are a soft grey, while the underparts are predominantly whitish, accented with orange-red underwing coverts. Females and immature birds share a similar appearance, though the stark black is replaced by more subtle dusky streaking.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Black-throated Thrush, look for the male's unmistakable black throat and breast. Both sexes have grey upperparts and whitish underparts, but the female's throat and breast will show dusky streaking instead of solid black. The orange-red underwing coverts are a helpful distinguishing feature when the bird is in flight.

Habitat

The Black-throated Thrush selects breeding grounds along the fringes of clearings within coniferous or mixed deciduous forests. They show a preference for the undergrowth of Siberian Pine or mixed spruce-fir forests, particularly those that are near watercourses or in swampy locales.

Distribution

Breeding from the easternmost reaches of Europe across to Western Siberia and north-west Mongolia, the Black-throated Thrush is a migratory bird that winters from the Middle East to eastern Myanmar. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, and across much of Europe.

Behaviour

This thrush breeds either solitarily or in loose aggregations from late May to late July. The nest, a craft of grasses and twigs bound with earth and lined with fine grasses, moss, or lichens, is typically placed close to the ground. In winter, it often joins large flocks with other thrush species, roosting in dense evergreen vegetation.

Breeding

The breeding season sees the Black-throated Thrush nesting from late May through to late July. Nests are usually situated within 1.5 to 2 meters off the ground, sometimes directly on the ground, and are constructed from grasses and twigs.

Diet and Feeding

Foraging primarily on the ground, the Black-throated Thrush's diet consists of invertebrates, various berries, cherries, and some seeds. This diet sustains them throughout the year, adapting to seasonal availability.

Conservation status

The Black-throated Thrush is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that, for now, this species does not face any imminent threats to its survival on a global scale.