Naumann's Thrush - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by rylirk
Shahe Lake, Beijing, China, March 2018

Identification

23–25 cm (9-9¾ in)

Greyish-brown back and crown with some rusty accents
White belly
Male: Rufous face, breast, rump, and spots on flanks and undertail coverts (breast is sometimes spotted instead of solid rufous), and often with some black spots on throat
Female: similar to male but with paler rufous colors, never solid color on breast, more contrasting malar stripes
Underwing almost entirely buffy-rufous

Young female
Photo © by lostinjapan
Hiroshima City Center, Japan, March 2007

Found in summer in north-central to eastern Asia, mainly mid latitude Siberia and east of there; winters to Japan and Korea.

Generally, Dusky Thrush breeds more northerly than Naumann's Thrush. Both forms have occurred as vagrants in Europe and Britain.

This is a monotypic species¹.

Dusky Thrush has recently been split from Naumann’s Thrush. Hybrids do occur and are not too rare around Beijing³.

Breeds in coniferous and broad-leaf forest and scrub.

They nest in trees. The clutch consists of 3-5 eggs.

The diet includes insects, mosquitoes, earthworms and berries.

Voice is very similar to Dusky Thrush

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Knox, A.G. et al. 2008. Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: Fifth report. Ibis, 150, 833–835
Thread in Id Forum; see especially posts 5 and 6
Beaman, M., S. Madge, K.M. Olsen. 1998. Fuglene i Europa, Nordafrika og Mellemøsten. Copenhagen, Denmark: Gads Forlag, ISBN 87-12-02276-4

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Naumann's Thrush. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Naumann%27s_Thrush

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