The pale thrush is a passerine bird of the eastern Palearctic belonging to the genus Turdus in the thrush family Turdidae. It is closely related to the eye-browed thrush and grey-backed thrush.
Region
East Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds from the Russian Far East through northeast China and the Korean Peninsula to Japan. In the non-breeding season it moves south to central and southern China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and parts of Japan and the Ryukyu Islands. It favors mature deciduous and mixed forests with dense undergrowth, as well as riparian woods. During migration and winter it readily uses secondary woodland, thickets, orchards, and urban parks. It typically forages on the ground in leaf litter near cover.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The pale thrush breeds in the eastern Palearctic and winters farther south in East Asia, often appearing in parks and wooded gardens. It is a fairly shy, ground-foraging thrush that flushes with a flick of its tail, showing bright white undertail coverts. It can be confused with related Turdus thrushes, but lacks a bold supercilium and has plainer underparts. Its mellow, simple phrases are typical of thrushes and carry well in quiet woodlands.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights between cover
Social Behavior
Breeds solitarily or in well-spaced pairs, building a cup nest in trees or dense shrubs. Outside the breeding season it often joins loose, quiet flocks or mixed-species groups in fruiting areas. Both sexes forage on the ground, and adults are attentive to nestlings.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Song is a simple series of mellow, fluty phrases and whistles, repeated at intervals from a concealed perch. Calls include soft chuck and tseep notes given when foraging or alarmed.
