Chinese Blackbird

Chinese Blackbird
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Turdus mandarinus

Malay Name: Murai-Belanda Hitam Cina

Chinese Name: 乌鸫

Range: Breeding and winter range includes China and northern Indochina.

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: sowerbyi, mandarinus.

Size: 28-29 cm

Identification: As the name suggests, male is all black with orange-yellow bill and eyering; female is dark brown with slightly darker wings.

Habitat: Open habitat, inlcuding woodland, parks, grasslands.

Behaviour/Ecology: Prefers foraging on ground. Part of the family Turdidae that includes other more well-known thrushes in Singapore such as the Orange-headed Thrush and Eyebrowed Thrush.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2018)

Featured articles:

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Chinese Blackbird Turdus mandarinus
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Early date 11 Feb 2020
Late date 16 Feb 2020
Breeding in central and eastern China, with some populations wintering in southern China, this species is a rare vagrant in southeast Asia.
Chinese Blackbird at Jurong Lake Gardens. Photo credit: Keita Sin

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Chinese Blackbird)

References:

BirdLife International. (2018). Turdus mandarinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T103888237A132201482.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Chinese Blackbird. Retrieved on May 18, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/chinese-blackbird.

To top