Turdus obscurus
The Eyebrowed Thrush (Turdus obscurus) is a medium-sized, strikingly patterned songbird belonging to the true thrush genus. Measuring about 20-23 cm (8-9 inches) in length with a wingspan of 34-39 cm and weighing 60-75 grams, it presents a neat, upright posture. Its most distinctive field mark is a prominent white supercilium, or 'eyebrow,' which contrasts sharply with its dark crown and a subtle dark eye-line, giving it a perpetually alert expression. The upperparts are a uniform olive-brown...
Found in broadleaf, mixed, and coniferous forests, often favoring forest edges, clearings, and riparian zones, but also adapts to parks, gardens, and cultivated areas at low to mid-elevations.
Feeds primarily on invertebrates like earthworms, insects, and larvae, particularly during the breeding season, supplementing its diet with various berries and fruits, especially in autumn and winter.
Eyebrowed Thrushes are primarily diurnal, active from dawn to dusk, often roosting communally in trees during migration and winter. They are adept ground-foragers, typically hopping across lawns or through leaf litter, pausing to cock their head and listen, then quickly jabbing at prey. While bre...
The Eyebrowed Thrush has an extensive Palearctic breeding range spanning Central and Eastern Siberia, northern Mongolia, northeastern China, North Korea, the Russian Far East (including Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands), and Hokkaido, Japan. After breeding, it undertakes a significant migration, mo...
Least Concern
- The Eyebrowed Thrush's scientific name, *Turdus obscurus*, translates to 'dark thrush,' a nod to its relatively subdued olive-brown upperparts. - This species is an astonishing long-distance vagrant, with individuals frequently appearing in unexpected locations across North America, thousands o...