The white-backed thrush or Kessler's thrush (Turdus kessleri) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is primarily resident or a short-distance altitudinal migrant, found in central China in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, eastern Tibet, and northwestern Yunnan,[2][3] and also a scarce winter visitor in Bhutan, northeasternmost India (Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim), and eastern Nepal.[2][4] It breeds in alpine scrub on rocky sites at altitudes of 3600–4500 metres, and descends down to 2100 metres, rarely to 1500 metres, in winter.[2][3]
| White-backed thrush | |
|---|---|
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| White-backed thrush in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Turdidae |
| Genus: | Turdus |
| Species: | T. kessleri
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| Binomial name | |
| Turdus kessleri (Przewalski, 1876)
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It is a large thrush, 28 cm long (same size as a mistle thrush). The male has a black head, wings, and tail, and a pink body, dark pink below and pale pink to nearly white on the mantle (thus superficially resembling a rosy starling in plumage pattern, though larger and longer-tailed than that). The female is similar but drabber, with a dark brown head and the pink tinged greyer. Juveniles are similar to adult females, but with pale streaks on the head.[2] It is gregarious, forming flocks particularly in winter, but also on the breeding grounds, and often joins flocks of dusky thrush and red-throated thrush. It is omnivorous, feeding on insects, earthworms, and berries, with juniper cones ("berries") particularly important in winter.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Turdus kessleri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22708786A94176683. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22708786A94176683.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Clement, Peter; Hathway, Ren (2000-11-30). Thrushes. London: A&C Black. pp. 36–37, 367–368. ISBN 0-7136-3940-7.
- ^ a b c MacKinnon, John Ramsay; Phillipps, Karen (2000-06-08). A Field Guide to the Birds of China. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-854940-7.
- ^ Kazmierczak, Krys; Perlo, Ber van (2000). A field guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-07921-4.
