Passeriformes / Turdidae / Turdus
Tibetan Blackbird
Turdus maximus · 藏乌鸫
Introduction
A species of thrush in the family Turdidae, found in the Himalayas from northern Pakistan to southeastern Tibet. It inhabits steep grassy, rocky slopes and alpine meadows above the tree line. Phylogenetic evidence indicates it is only distantly related to the common blackbird and is sister to the white-backed thrush. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
Description
Relatively large thrush, 23–28 cm (9–10 inches) in length. Males are brownish-black overall, darker on the head, breast, wings, and tail, with dull orange-yellow bills. Females have blackish-brown upperparts, browner underparts, faint throat streaking, and a dull darkish yellow bill. Both sexes may appear slightly hooded. Juveniles resemble females but feature greyish-buff on the back, wing-coverts, and rump, with greyish-buff streaking on the throat and barring on the belly to vent.
Identification
Differentiated from the common blackbird by a complete lack of an eye-ring and reduced song. Song consists of repetitious rapid grating notes, unpleasant squeaks, drongo-like wheezes, guttural caws, and sporadic piew-piew whistles, lacking warbles or trills. Calls include a low-pitched chut-ut-ut, staccato chak-chak-chak-chak in flight, and rattling chow-jow-jow-jow alarm call.
Distribution & Habitat
Found locally in the Himalayas of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. Breeding habitat includes steep grassy, rocky slopes and alpine meadows just above the tree line at elevations of 3,200–4,800 m (10,500–15,700 ft). In winter, it descends to lower elevations but rarely below 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Treated as monotypic.
Behavior & Ecology
Omnivorous diet including earthworms, molluscs, insects, small lizards, fruit, and seeds. Forages on the ground, hopping over rocks and boulders, favoring soft bare ground at the edge of melting snow. Late summer foraging occurs in flocks of up to ten individuals. Breeding season is May to July, peaking June to early July. Nests are bulky cups of mud, animal hair, and fine grass, placed in roots, low bushes, cliff faces, or rocky walls; Cotoneaster microphylla is a favorite nesting plant in China. Clutches contain 3–4 large, dull buff to grey eggs with brown blotches. Incubation lasts 12–13 days; fledging takes 16–18 days. Nest success rate is 59%.
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to a very large range, large population, and an increasing population trend.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
Distribution
western Pakistan and India to Sikkim, Bhutan, and southeastern Tibet
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.
