Eyebrowed thrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eyebrowed thrush |
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Turdus
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| Species: |
obscurus
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The eyebrowed thrush (Turdus obscurus) is a cool bird from the thrush family. It lives in thick conifer forests and taiga (a type of forest) in places like Siberia, Mongolia, and Japan. This bird loves to travel! It's a strong migratory bird, flying south to China and Southeast Asia for winter. Sometimes, it even wanders far away to western Europe.
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About the Eyebrowed Thrush's Name
Scientists give every animal a special two-part name. This helps everyone know exactly which animal they are talking about. The eyebrowed thrush got its scientific name, Turdus obscurus, in 1789. A German scientist named Johann Friedrich Gmelin gave it this name.
The first part of its name, Turdus, is Latin for "thrush." The second part, obscurus, means "dark" or "dusky." So, its scientific name basically means "dark thrush."
What Does the Eyebrowed Thrush Look Like?
This bird is quite pretty! It has a grey back and a grey head. You can spot a black line near its eye, which has white lines above and below it. This gives it the "eyebrowed" look!
Its chest and sides are a bright orange color. Its belly is white. Male and female birds look quite similar. However, young birds have a browner back. The male bird sings a simple, whistling song. It sounds a bit like the song of a mistle thrush.
Eyebrowed Thrush Behaviour and Life
Eyebrowed thrushes build their nests in trees. They usually lay 4 to 6 eggs in a neat nest. When these birds migrate or spend the winter somewhere, they often fly in small groups.
These birds eat many different things. They are omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes a variety of insects, earthworms, and berries.
Where Have Eyebrowed Thrushes Been Seen?
Sometimes, these birds fly far from their usual homes. In 2007, an eyebrowed thrush was seen at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory in Jerusalem, Israel. This was only the second time this bird had been seen in Israel! The first time was in 1996.
In 2011, another eyebrowed thrush was spotted in Australia. It was near Malanda in Queensland. This might have been the very first confirmed sighting of this bird on the Australian mainland!
Ancient Eyebrowed Thrushes
Scientists have even found old bones of this bird! In 2017, they found a fossil of an eyebrowed thrush in Indonesia. This fossil was from the late Pleistocene period. This shows that these birds have been around for a very long time!
Gallery
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Eyebrowed thrush from Khonoma village in Nagaland, India
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Egg, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
