The Chinese thrush is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in China and far northern Vietnam. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Region
East Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs in central and south-central China with non-breeding or winter occurrence extending into far northern Vietnam. Prefers mature evergreen and mixed broadleaf–conifer montane forests with dense understory. Often uses forest edges, clearings, and riparian thickets where leaf litter is deep and moist. In winter it may descend to lower elevations and enter secondary growth and wooded farmland. Local and patchy, it follows areas with abundant ground invertebrates and seasonal fruit.
Altitude Range
800–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Chinese thrush is a close relative of the Eurasian song thrush and looks quite similar, but with heavier, scale-like spotting on the underparts. It was first described from Mupin (now Baoxing) in Sichuan, which is reflected in its scientific name. Usually shy and retiring, it keeps to dense montane forest understory and can be heard more often than seen. Its rich, fluty song carries far in quiet mountain valleys.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short, direct flights with rapid wingbeats, usually low through the understory
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in pairs during the breeding season, forming small loose groups around food sources in winter. Monogamous pairs build a neat, cup-shaped nest of grasses, moss, and mud placed in shrubs or low trees. Clutch size is typically 3–5 eggs, and both parents invest in feeding the young. Territorial singing males advertise from concealed perches.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
A rich, fluty series of clear, melodious phrases reminiscent of the Eurasian song thrush, sometimes repeating motifs. Calls include soft tchuck notes and thin seeps given when alarmed or in flight.
Plumage
Warm brown upperparts with slightly darker wings and tail; underparts buff to whitish, heavily marked with dark, scale-like spots and crescents. Face shows dusky lores and malar area with a faint pale supercilium; throat pale with dark streaking. Overall impression is a strongly scalloped, song-thrush-like Turdus in shaded montane forest.
Diet
Feeds on ground-dwelling invertebrates such as insects, spiders, and earthworms, which it locates by probing and flicking through leaf litter. Takes snails when available, using the bill to extract soft parts. In the non-breeding season it supplements with berries and small fruits from forest shrubs and trees. Diet composition shifts seasonally with prey availability.
Preferred Environment
Forages mostly on the forest floor in shaded leaf litter, along trails, and near streams where soil is moist. Also visits fruiting shrubs at forest edges and clearings, especially in winter. Will use secondary growth and wooded farmland when undisturbed.
