Eyebrowed Thrush vs Grey-backed Thrush: How to Tell Them Apart

Eyebrowed Thrush

Turdus obscurus

Medium63 gForest

This is an attractive thrush, with a grey back and head, the latter having a black eyeline, bordered white above and below. The breast and flanks are orange, and the belly white. The sexes are fairly similar, but immatures have a browner back. The male has a simple whistling song, similar to the related mistle thrush.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Jochem Verweij · Nocturnal flight call · Khurkh Bird Ringing Station, Биндэр, Хэнтий, Mongolia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ben Costamagna · CC BY 4.0

Grey-backed Thrush

Turdus hortulorum

Medium67 gForest

The grey-backed thrush is a medium-sized Passerine. It is a sexually-dimorphic species, with males having a slate grey back and chest and white chin and belly, with rufous flanks. Females have grey or brown backs, with dark spots on the chest and similar plumage to males on the belly and flanks. These birds are 20-23 cm long, and weigh a mean 66.7 g (range: 61-69 g).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Aiken Lau · CC0

Where you might meet both

Taiwan Thailand China Japan Hong Kong SAR China Mongolia South Korea Russia Vietnam Macao SAR China

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Eyebrowed Thrush and Grey-backed Thrush.