Sunda Island Thrush

Turdus javanicus

The Sunda Island Thrush (*Turdus javanicus*) is a captivating medium-sized passerine, typically measuring 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) in length and weighing 50-80 grams. While plumage varies across its subspecies, common features include dark brown to blackish upperparts, rufous to chestnut flanks and belly, and a paler vent, with some forms exhibiting a distinctive all-dark head or a contrasting throat. Bill and leg colors range from dull yellow to vibrant orange-yellow, serving as useful field m...

Habitat

Montane rainforests and cloud forests, primarily at elevations between 900 and 3,000 meters.

Diet

Primarily invertebrates such as insects, worms, and snails, supplemented with a significant amount of fruits and berries, foraged mostly on the ground or from vegetation.

Behavior

The Sunda Island Thrush is primarily diurnal, foraging actively on the forest floor and in low undergrowth, typically roosting in dense canopy vegetation. Its foraging strategy involves hopping on the ground, flicking leaf litter to expose invertebrates, and gleaning fruits from bushes and trees....

Range

The Sunda Island Thrush (*Turdus javanicus*) is endemic to the higher elevations of the Sunda Islands within Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Its core range includes the montane forests of Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, and the island of Timor. This species exhibits significant geographical varia...

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Fun Facts

- The Sunda Island Thrush was once considered a subspecies of the widely distributed, but now extinct in its original form, Island Thrush (*Turdus poliocephalus*), known for its extreme variability. - Its current species status, *Turdus javanicus*, is a result of extensive genetic and morphologic...

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