Thrush - Panjin, Liaoning, China (1 Viewer)

[Owen Krout]

The day was very slow until, of course, I was pressed for time and had to leave. Then a complex song attracted me. It appeared that several of these pale gray looking birds, thrush like in appearance and behavior, were the source, but whatever it was was being very reclusive. I managed to sneak up on this one but the lighting was terrible.

Secondly, just because it is nagging at the edge of my mind and seems like an identifiable coloration, a Blobsquach photo that I just got a quick look at while stalking the thrush and managed just one quick shot so deep in the shadows that the SX-70 refused to lock on. Impressed me as size, shape and posture pointing towards flycatcher, but seems quite late for any of them.

If either seems to be worth a second try, I might be able to go back tomorrow with the best camera gear and spend some time trying to tie them down.

As always, thanks for any help or even guesses.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Looks like a fem/1w Black throated thrush to me, though wouldn't want to rule an intergrade.

 

[Owen Krout]

I hadn't considered Black-throated and that would be a rarity. I was seriously considering Grey-backed Thrush though, which would still be a new tick. I'm going to have to see if I can rearrange today's schedule for a retry as the weather is great again the weekend will mean more people in the park.

 

[johnallcock]

Not a Grey-backed Thrush - either sex would have clear orange flanks, which this bird doesn't. My reaction was that it's a Naumann's, but not entirely sure.

The second bird is really tricky. If pushed, I would guess that it's a bunting, possibly Rustic.

 

[MacNara]

I don't know your area at all, so these comments are just comments. Apologies if they turn out to be nonsense - but sometimes on these threads nonsense with reasons gives someone else the right idea when they work out why it's nonsense. So, I'll post this anyway.

As regards the first, thrush-like bird, the photo seems very greyed-out because of light conditions. But I think we can trust the leg colour, which is black. This would rule out most regular thrushes (except maybe Black-throated, which might show black legs in a photo like this; but would be accidental in your area).

I wonder if female or juvenile Blue Rockthrush might be possible, with the brownish colouration turned to grey by the camera? It's a summer visitor to your area. (Or even f or j White-throated Rock Thrush, which I've never seen, which Mark Brazil shows as a migrant through your area?)

The second photo I can't make anything out of. I find it difficult to get a bunting out of it. But I attach a version of your photo with the blue tint removed, in case that was an artefact, and this version of the photo gives anyone an idea. There's no way to judge the size, but for a second I thought maybe the pattern (the kind of bib at the throat with some of the grey at the side of the throat washed out by the camera) might roughly fit female or juvenile Paradise Flycatcher (either Japanese or Indian might be possible where you are). But I kind of think any definite ID is going to be really difficult.

In the audio, there seems to be a number of different birds, but the strong screeching at 6, 7, 8...16, 17, 18...22, 23 sounds a lot like the Brown-eared Bulbuls around my house in Japan - and Mark Brazil also has them as migrants in your area. But maybe it's some other bird you have there with which I am not familiar?

I wonder also if migration timing is changing, and so there may be birds there that in the past would not have been there on these dates?

The last three years have seen a step-change in climate where I am (not just one or two records broken, but many records broken by quite a lot and then often matched or broken again the next year).

In my area - Nara, Japan - 2018 was the hottest year ever in the records; and this year, although July was relatively normal, August, September and October have been the warmest ever for that month (e.g. October 2019 averaged 19.3ºC, which was 0.4ºC higher than the previous October record).

Since something similar must be happening in the broader East Asian region, I think animal and bird behaviour must be changing to fit the climate?

 

[MacNara]

First photo - the Thrush.

First year female Blue Rockthrush, which looks grey, like this? (Your photo reposted together for easy comparison.)

 

[johnallcock]

I still don't see this bird as a Rock Thrush. Compared to the photo you posted, the bird has longer legs, shorter/less heavy bill, smaller head, paler belly, etc. It looks to me like a Turdus thrush. I would say one of the Dusky/Naumann's/Dark-throated group, but I don't think it can be definitely ID'ed.

The second bird looks like it has a notched tail to me - if so, that should rule out a paradise flycatcher and most true flycatchers. But I'm not really confident about family for this bird. It seems to have a marked head pattern, similar to a bunting or pipit (hence my previous guess), but I'm not sure if that is just a photo artefact.

 

[MacNara]

Hi John.

If it's not Rockthrush (which I still think it could be - apparent leg size and other features could themselves be photo artefacts given the quality of the original photo), then it could surely only be Dusky (in which case the greyness would be mostly photo artefact). Black-throated or relatives would be mega in that area, and surely couldn't be claimed from this photo.

As for bird 2, I agree it simply can't be identified. My Paradise Flycatcher suggestion was simply because sometimes people on BF come up with IDs for difficult photos in a negative way - e.g. it's not X (as MacNara suggested) because of features a, b, c, therefore maybe it's Y.

 

[CARERY]

FWIW to me the tail of the OP Thrush is too long to belong to a Rock Thrush. Would call it a Turdus sp.

 

[MacNara]

And by-the by, we have gazillions of Dusky Thrushes which overwinter where I am, in Nara, central Japan, but none has yet arrived this year.

On the other hand, Blue Rockthrush now breeds and is a year-round common resident here, about 60km from any marine environment - I can see them from my windows most days perched on three- or four-storey apartment blocks and similar buildings, as well as on the TV antennae of ordinary houses. This is where I took the photo in the previous post.

And I'm guessing that Blue Rockthrush will also be an all-year resident where Owen is, but maybe he isn't yet up to the seasonal plumage changes.

 

[johnallcock]

If it's not Rockthrush (which I still think it could be - apparent leg size and other features could themselves be photo artefacts given the quality of the original photo), then it could surely only be Dusky (in which case the greyness would be mostly photo artefact). Black-throated or relatives would be mega in that area, and surely couldn't be claimed from this photo.

I'm not sure I agree it could only be Dusky. Naumann's should also overwinter regularly in this area. Both species have already been reported in Liaoning on eBird this October/November (by Owen), so the date wouldn't be a problem. The apparent greyness could be a photo artefact, or could result from hybridisation between Naumann's/Dusky. I agree that Black-throated/Red-throated are much less likely, and can't be claimed from this photo (in fact, I don't think it can be definitely IDed from this photo).

 

[MacNara]

I'm not sure I agree it could only be Dusky. Naumann's should also overwinter regularly in this area. Both species have already been reported in Liaoning on eBird this October/November (by Owen), so the date wouldn't be a problem. The apparent greyness could be a photo artefact, or could result from hybridisation between Naumann's/Dusky.

If these species have been 'reported in Liaoning on eBird this October / November (by Owen)' then why is Owen asking about this bird? So, the date is a problem.

And the 'apparent greyness' isn't apparent in my opinion. After all, if this was a Dusky + Naumann's hybrid it would be redder not greyer.

Unless the colours of the original photo have been photoshopped or edtited to be nothing much like the original bird, then I think Dusky is not likely. After all, Dusky is common where I am, and I assume where Owen is - so why would Owen pick this one individual out of all the Duskies or whatever to ask about on BF?

 

[rockfowl]

FWIW, I see a Turdus sp not a Rock Thrush, legs are too long and thin for the latter and general shape is wrong for me.

I wouldn't rule out a first winter Red-throated Thrush personally, much commoner in NE China during the winter than the literature would suggest.

 

[MacNara]

I wouldn't rule out a first winter Red-throated Thrush personally, much commoner in NE China during the winter than the literature would suggest.

Yes, the books I have definitely say 'accidental', so I was assuming that you'd need a really clear picture for a definite ID, and tried to find some other ID. I saw these (Red-throated) for the first and only time so far in Irkutsk in the snow in early May a couple of years ago. I had thought that was more or less their eastern limit.

If they get to Liaoning, then maybe they could make a little extra effort and come to Japan! (There's a Red-breasted Goose on a lake in north-eastern Honshu at the moment - first Japanese record - but it's mixed in with 10,000+ other geese and difficult to find. Too far for me to go just on hope.)

By the way, it's nice to see you Mark; you haven't been around here much lately. I hope you're happy and busy.

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

Yes, the books I have definitely say 'accidental', so I was assuming that you'd need a really clear picture for a definite ID, and tried to find some other ID. I saw these (Red-throated) for the first and only time so far in Irkutsk in the snow in early May a couple of years ago. I had thought that was more or less their eastern limit.

If they get to Liaoning, then maybe they could make a little extra effort and come to Japan! (There's a Red-breasted Goose on a lake in north-eastern Honshu at the moment - first Japanese record - but it's mixed in with 10,000+ other geese and difficult to find. Too far for me to go just on hope.)

By the way, it's nice to see you Mark; you haven't been around here much lately. I hope you're happy and busy.

Regarding status of Red-throated your information is out of date. Looking at the Birding Beijing website there were 62 Red-throated (+ a Black-throated) at Lingshan Mountain on 10th Nov 2019 https://birdingbeijing.com/latest-bird-news-from-beijing/ and they are regular on passage (rarer in winter) in Korea http://www.birdskorea.org/Birds/Checklist/BK-CL-Checklist-Apr-2014.shtml and finally species eBird status https://ebird.org/map/retthr1

And BTW, the OP is definitely a Turdus for reasons cited though agree it's not safely identifiable but, like Mark would not exclude the possibility of 1st-w Red-throated.

Grahame

 

[rockfowl]

By the way, it's nice to see you Mark; you haven't been around here much lately. I hope you're happy and busy.

I'm good thanks Mac, I have a look occasionally and respond where I feel I can have input.