Siberian Thrush

Siberian Thrush (Geokichla sibirica) is a secretive forest thrush; males are dark blue-grey with a bold white eyebrow, while females are browner and more patterned. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in Siberian taiga, forages on the ground for insects, earthworms and berries and migrates strongly to Southeast Asia, usually remaining hidden in dense forest cover. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).