Scientific Name: Zoothera aurea
Malay Name: Murai-Tanah Bersisik Biasa
Chinese Name: 虎斑地鸫
Range: Breeds from Siberia to Korea, Japan, and winters to South China and Indochina.
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: aurea, toratugumi.
Local Subspecies: aurea
Size: 29-30.5 cm
Identification: Distinguished from all other thrushes in Singapore by light brown upperparts and white underparts with unique dense dark scales. Female Siberian Thrush is somewhat similar, but has contrasting white throat and supercilium, face, and a dark moustachial stripe, and lacks the dense upperpart scaling of this species. The White’s Thrush is also similar looking to many other thrushes from the same genus (Zoothera) that do not occur in Singapore; particular care is required to distinguish it from the near identical Scaly Thrush Z. dauma that has no records in Singapore but is also found in the region, albeit as a short-distance migrant. Scaly Thrush is comparatively weaker- and shorter-billed, but the most reliable method to distinguish the two species is by the wing formula, which is most easily determined in the hand. Excellent field photos may also be sufficient, as discussed here. In White's Thrush, the second-outermost primary (p2) is between the lengths of p4 and p5, while in Scaly Thrush p2 is shorter and between p5 and p6 instead.
Similar looking species: Siberian Thrush
Habitat: Forest and suitable wooded areas.
Behaviour/Ecology: Generally prefers forests and wooded area that has dense leaf litter where it forages. Like many other thrushes, this species is also often observed feeding on fruiting trees, and can stay still and remain very inconspicuously perched on trees when not foraging. (Note: some sources list the presence of 14 tail feathers as diagnostic for White's Thrush, but this may not be reliable.)
Local Status: Vagrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2019)
- Singapore’s first White’s Thrush (Significant Records)
- BirdSoc SG Wrapp’d 2023 (Uncategorized)
- Checklist Revision for January 2024 (Checklist Revisions)
Featured reports: Nov 2023
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (White's Thrush)
References:
BirdLife International. (2019). Zoothera aurea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T155646620A154736759.en. Accessed on 23 November 2023
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). White's Thrush. Retrieved on December 5, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/whites-thrush.