The Sichuan thrush or Sichuan forest thrush is a species of bird in the thrush family. It breeds in central China and winters in northern Vietnam. The Sichuan thrush was formerly considered as conspecific with the Alpine thrush and the Himalayan thrush as the plain-backed thrush until split in 2016.
Region
Southwest China and northern Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds in montane forests of central China, particularly in Sichuan and adjacent ranges, favoring cool, moist evergreen and mixed conifer–broadleaf habitats. In winter it moves to northern Vietnam, using lower-elevation evergreen forests and well-vegetated slopes. It frequents dense undergrowth with bamboo, rhododendron, and mossy ground. Stream gullies, shaded forest floor, and edges of mature forest are typical microhabitats.
Altitude Range
800–3600 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Split from the plain-backed thrush complex in 2016, the Sichuan thrush was distinguished mainly by differences in song, genetics, and subtle morphology. It breeds in central China and migrates to northern Vietnam for the winter. This shy, forest-dwelling thrush is more often located by its delicate song than by sight.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through forest understory
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season, maintaining small territories. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low in dense vegetation, on banks, or among roots; clutches are small. Outside the breeding season it may join mixed-species foraging flocks loosely and uses a wider range of habitats.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Song is a soft, clear, and high-pitched series of thin, musical phrases with deliberate pauses. Calls include short, thin seep notes and quiet tics, often given from concealed perches at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Plain brown to olive-brown upperparts with a clean, unpatterned back; underparts buff to whitish with fine dark streaking and spots on the breast and flanks. Subtle pale eye-ring and faint supercilium; wings and tail are uniformly brown. Overall appearance is sleek with a slightly scaled impression on the underparts.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects and other invertebrates such as beetles, ants, caterpillars, spiders, and earthworms. In the non-breeding season it supplements with berries and small fruits. Forages mostly by gleaning and probing in leaf litter and moss, occasionally turning leaves with quick hops.
Preferred Environment
Forages on shaded, damp forest floors, along stream margins, and in dense undergrowth. In winter it uses forest edges and secondary growth where fruiting shrubs are available.
