• The following pages have some identification markers for each of the Rock, Whistling & Zoothera Thrushes found in India
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Sno. Name Binomial Name Rock Thrush 1 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitaries 2 Blue-capped Rock Thrush Monticola cinclorhynchus 3 Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush Monticola rufiventris 4 Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis Whistling Thrush 1 Blue Whistling Thrush Myophonus caeruleus 2 Malabar Whistling Thrush Myophonus horsfieldii Zoothera Thrush 1 Dark-sided Thrush Zoothera marginata 2 Long-billed Thrush Zoothera Monticola 3 Long-tailed Thrush Zoothera dixoni 4 Nilgiri Thrush Zoothera neilgherriensis 5 Orange-headed Thrush Zoothera citrina 6 Pied Thrush Zoothera wardii Plain-backed Thrush 7 Zoothera mollissima (Alpine thrush) 8 Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma 9 Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica ©www.ogaclicks.com ROCK THRUSH Blue Rock Thrush identification Tips Blue Rock Thrush : Monticola solitaries : Breeds in Himalayas; Widespread winter visitor in India Pale Blue eyering Crown & head are Indigo blue
Dark lores
Bill is black Face area is Deep Blue
Upperparts are Deep Blue
Chin & Throat are blue Wing coverts are Deep Blue Crown & head are Blue-grey White eyering
Pale lores Black edged primaries Buff face are with streaks Blue breast
Buff Chin & Blue belly throat Blue-grey upperparts Male
Streaked buff & Brown on Blue tail, darker distally breast Blue -grey tail Blue flanks Buff & brown barred Underparts Legs are Blue-black
Female Buff & brown barred flanks Difference from Male Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Blue-capped Rock Thrush identification Tips Blue-capped Rock Thrush : Monticola cinclorhynchus : Summer Visitor to Himalayas; Winter visitor in Western Ghats India
Dark lore patch Crown & head are bright mid-blue
Bill is black Black Band covering cheek & ear-covert
Upperparts are black Chin & Throat are blue
Wing coverts are Blue Crown & head are Grey-Brown White eyering Rusty orange breast White wing patch Pale lores Blue-fringed wings Face area with streaks Rusty Orange back White Chin & Rusty Orange belly throat Grey- Brown upperparts Rusty Orange rump
Grey-Brown Legs are Blue-black Blue-tinged black tail Scales on whitish breast Rusty Oranges vent Male Barred whitish Underparts Grey-brown tail
Female White vent Difference from Male Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush identification Tips Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush : Monticola rufiventris : Resident of Himalayas & North East India
Dark lore patch Crown & head are Grey-Blue
Bill is black Black Band covering cheek & ear-covert
Chin & Throat are Blue-Black Upperparts are Grey-Blue
Wing coverts are Blue White eyering Crown & head are Grey-Brown Chestnut breast Blue-fringed wings Post-auricular patch White chin Grey- Brown upperparts White mesial stripe Chestnut belly Blue rump Male Scalloped slate-grey and buffy-white Blue tail underparts Chestnut vent
Grey-brown tail Legs are Blue-black
Female Difference from Male Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush identification Tips Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush : Monticola saxatilis: Passage migrant in Ladhak region in India Dark lore patch Crown & head are Grey-Blue
Bill is black Grey-blue face
Chin & Throat are Blue-Black Upperparts are Grey-Blue
White eyering Crown & head are Grey-Brown Wing coverts are Brownish-Grey tipped black Orange breast White patch on back
White chin Brownish-grey fringed wings Buffish spotting Orange belly & scaling on upperparts
Orange-buff Orange Vent with strong grey-brown Orange-red upper tail coverts & tail scaling
Male
Legs are Blue-black Female Difference from Male Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com WHISTLING THRUSH Blue Whistling Thrush identification Tips - M. c. temminckii Blue Whistling Thrush : Myophonus caeruleus temminckii : Resident of Himalayas and North East India Brown iris Crown & head are Bluish-black with metallic violet-blue spots Black forehead band
Bill is yellow Ear coverts & cheeks are blue Chin is blue Blue shoulder patch
Throat has Bluish-black with Upperparts are Bluish-black with metallic violet-blue spots metallic violet-blue spots
Wing-coverts are deep dull blue with silver spots
Underparts are Bluish-black with metallic violet-blue spots
Primaries are deep dull blue
Blue flanks Tail is deep dull blue
Legs are black
Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Malabar Whistling Thrush identification Tips Malabar Whistling Thrush : Myophonus horsfieldii: Resident of hills of peninsular India. Brown iris Metallic ,bright royal-blue forehead-band Crown & head are matt black
Bill is black Matt black facial area Chin & throat are black Blue shoulder patch
Black breast with bluish tinge Upperparts are blue with glossy royal-blue scaling
Wing-coverts are deep dull blue
Underparts are blue with glossy royal-blue scaling
Primaries with royal-blue edges
Flanks are blue with glossy royal-blue scaling
Legs are black
Black underbelly & vent Tail is deep dull blue
Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com ZOOTHERA THRUSH Dark-sided Thrush identification Tips Dark-sided Thrush : Zoothera marginata : Resident of Himalayas & North East India. Buffy white lores Brown iris Crown & head are dark brown Bill is blackish, pale lower mandible
Blackish-flecked whitish facial area Chin & throat are white
Upperparts are rufous brown White breast with dense small grayish brown scalloping Wing-coverts are rufous brown
Underparts are whitish with dense small grayish brown scalloping Rufous brown wings
Tail is rufous-brown
Flanks are duskier with dense large grayish brown scalloping
Legs are Pinkish
Whitish underbelly dense larger grayish brown scalloping Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Long-billed Thrush identification Tips Long-billed Thrush : Zoothera Monticola : Resident of Himalayas & North East India. Buffy white lores Brown iris Crown & head are flecked dull buff Bill is very long and partly hooked, dark Flecked dull buff facial area
Chin & throat are white
Dark malar stripe Upperparts are dark olive-brown narrow blackish scalloping
Breast with dark brown markings
Underparts are whitish with grey-brown flecks Wing-coverts are brown
Brown wings
Tail is rufous-brown
Flanks are buff with grey-brown flecks
Whitish vent with grey-brown flecks
Legs areflesh-coloured Whitish underbelly with grey-brown flecks Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Long-tailed Thrush identification Tips Long-tailed Thrush : Zoothera dixoni : Resident of Himalayas & North East India. Buffy white lores White eyering
Crown & head are warm olive-brown Bill is very long and partly hooked, dark
Dark malar stripe Buffy face marked with dark spots Chin & throat are white
Upperparts are warm olive-brown Breast with dense black crescents Two buff-spotted Wing-coverts Whitish underparts with large black crescents
Brown wings
Tail is warm olive-brown Whitish underbelly with large black crescents
Whitish vent Legs are flesh-coloured
Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Nilgiri Thrush identification Tips Nilgiri Thrush : Zoothera neilgherriensis : Resident of Western Ghats in India.
White eyering Crown & head are flecked dull buff Buffy white lores
Bill is very dark, long and partly hooked, Flecked dull buff facial area pale lower mandible Chin & throat are white
Dark malar stripe
Breast with dark brown markings Upperparts are golden-olive with black scaling
Wing-coverts with yellowish Underparts are Whitish tips forming wing bars with large black crescent Blackish fringes to primaries
Tail is golden-olive
Whitish underbelly with large black crescent
Whitish vent
Blackish tips to primary-coverts
Legs are flesh-coloured
Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Orange-headed Thrush identification Tips Orange-headed Thrush : Zoothera citrina : Resident of Himalayas eastwards to North East India
Dark lore patch Crown & head are dull pale orange
Bill is blackish, paler base Dull pale orange face Dull matt and glossy greenish-brown upperparts Chin & Throat are Upperparts are glossy grey dull pale orange White median wing-coverts
Wing coverts are glossy grey Dull pale orange breast Whitish-grey fringed wings Female Brown wings Dull pale orange underparts Male
G.c.cyanotus- Resident of Central & South India Whitish Vent
Broad auricular stripe
Orange malar stripe Broad olive-brown Legs are dull flesh vertical subocular stripe White chin & throat Difference from Male Male Difference from Nominate Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent Inskipp and Grimmett ©www.ogaclicks.com Important id point www.HBW.com Pied Thrush identification Tips Pied Thrush : Monticola wardii : Breeds in Himalayas ; winter visitor in South India
White lore patch Crown & head are black
Bill is yellow Supercilium White Male Black face
Chin & Throat are black Upperparts are black Wing coverts are black tipped white
Crown & head are Olive-Brown Black breast White fringed wings Breast sides whitish Greyish olive-brown with black chevrons on upperparts Black tail
White chin & throat Greyish olive-brown White underparts on wing coverts Brownish- White Vent olive malar Greyish olive-brown wings White flanks with black chevrons Whitish and brown Legs are yellow spotting and scaling olive-brown wash breast Greyish olive-brown tails
Whitish and brown spotting and scaling underparts Female Difference from Male Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Plain-backed Thrush (Alpine thrush) identification Tips Plain-backed Thrush (Alpine thrush) : Zoothera neilgherriensis : Resident of Himalayas & North East India. White eyering Buffy white lores Crown & head are Brown
Bill is bill dark, paler mandible Buff facial area with black marks Dark malar stripe
Chin & throat are white Upperparts are Olive-Brown Breast buffish with black crescent
Wing-coverts are Olive brown with black tips Underparts are Whitish with large black crescent Brown fringed primaries
Tail is Olive-Brown Whitish underbelly with large black crescent
Whitish vent Legs are flesh-coloured
Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Scaly Thrush identification Tips Scaly Thrush : Zoothera dauma : Winter Visitor Hills of Manipur & Andaman Islands in India. White eyering Buffy white lores Crown & head are golden-olive with black scales
Bill is large, blackish, paler mandible Blackish auricular mark
Dark malar stripe Buff facial area with black marks
Upperparts are golden-olive with black scales Chin & throat are white with specks
Breast whitish with black Wing coverts with yellowish to crescent whitish tips forming wingbars
Blackish tips to primary-coverts Underparts are Whitish with large black crescent Yellowish edgings to primaries
Tail is Olive-Brown Whitish underbelly with large black crescent
Whitish vent Legs are flesh-coloured
Both sexes Similar Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com Siberian Thrush identification Tips Siberian Thrush : Monticola sibirica : Winter Visitor Hills of Manipur & Andaman Islands in India Dark lore patch Crown & head are bluish-slaty
Bill is black Supercilium White
Bluish-slaty face
Chin & Throat are bluish-slaty Upperparts are bluish-slaty
Wing-coverts are bluish-slaty Crown & head are mid-brown Bluish-slaty breast Bluish-slaty fringed wings Buff-and-brown face Paler underparts
Brownish-olive malar Olive-tinged mid-brown on upperparts Bluish-slaty tail
Buffy-tipped on wing coverts White belly White chin & throat Legs are yellow White Vent
Mid-brown wings Male
Whitish and Brown Greyish olive-brown tails spotting and scaling on underparts Female
Difference from Male Reference : Birds of Indian Subcontinent ©www.ogaclicks.com Inskipp and Grimmett Important id point www.HBW.com