The chestnut-capped thrush lives in forests and woodlands of Southeast Asia. It is a songbird species in the family Turdidae. Traditionally, it has included the Enggano thrush as a subspecies, but a recent review recommended treating them as separate. Consequently, the chestnut-capped thrush is monotypic.
Region
Sundaic Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland and foothill evergreen rainforest across parts of the Sunda Shelf, including Sumatra, Borneo, and nearby smaller islands. Favors primary forest but may persist in older secondary growth where leaf litter remains deep and moist. Often keeps to shaded gullies, stream margins, and peat or freshwater swamp forest. Rarely ventures into open or heavily degraded habitats. Typically quiet and inconspicuous, moving on the forest floor under dense understory.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A shy forest-floor thrush of the Sundaic lowlands, it was formerly treated as conspecific with the Enggano thrush but is now regarded as monotypic. It relies on intact, humid rainforest and is sensitive to disturbance and fragmentation. Habitat loss and trapping for the cage-bird trade are believed to be key pressures in parts of its range.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low through understory
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, foraging quietly on the forest floor. Builds a neat cup nest placed low in a tree or sapling fork. Breeding pairs defend small territories during the nesting season and remain inconspicuous, relying on stillness and cover.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A clear, fluty series of whistles and short phrases delivered from a concealed perch. Calls include sharp, thin notes given when disturbed. Song is most frequent at dawn and in the early morning.
