Grey-winged Blackbird
Turdus boulboul
灰翅鸫
Introduction
A Turdus thrush species found in the mountains of southern and eastern Asia, ranging from the Himalayas to northern Vietnam. Inhabits subtropical or tropical moist montane forests at middle altitudes, primarily between 1800–2700 meters elevation. Seasonal altitudinal movements occur: descending to 1200 meters in winter and ascending to 3300 meters in summer. Exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in plumage coloration. No IUCN conservation status data available.
Description
A large thrush measuring 28–29 centimeters in length and weighing 88–111 grams. Males are predominantly black with faint pale fringes on the belly and a distinctive broad grey patch covering the wing covert, secondary, and tertial feathers. Females are uniformly brown with only a subtle indication of paler brown on the wings corresponding to the male's grey marking. The bill is bright yellow in males and dull yellow to brownish in females. Both sexes possess a narrow eye ring, yellow in males and greyish in females.
Identification
Males are readily identified by their black plumage combined with the conspicuous grey wing patch. The overall appearance is somewhat reminiscent of a ring ouzel but shows more uniform grey coloration on the wings. Females are plain brown birds that may be distinguished from similar species by the faint brownish tone on their wings and the narrow pale eye ring.
Distribution & Habitat
Occupies mountain ranges from the Himalayas through southern and eastern Asia to northern Vietnam. Inhabits subtropical and tropical moist montane forests at elevations of 1800–2700 meters. Performs seasonal altitudinal migration, moving to lower elevations around 1200 meters during winter and reaching higher summer altitudes up to 3300 meters.
Behavior & Ecology
No detailed behavioral information available in the source article.
Conservation
No conservation assessment data available in the source article.
Culture
No cultural significance or folklore information available in the source article.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
- eBird Code
- gywbla1
Distribution
Himalayas of western Pakistan to northern Myanmar, southern China, and northern southeastern Asia
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.