Wildlifeof Bhutan
Tibetan Blackbird
Thrushes, Chats & FlycatchersTurdus maximus
Basic stats
Diet
Omnivorous: invertebrates, lizards, fruit and seeds
Habitat
Steep grassy, rocky slopes and alpine meadows just above the tree line at 3,200–4,800m; nests in juniper or rhododendron bushes
Range
Locally in the Himalayas of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China, from northern Pakistan to south-eastern Tibet
Clutch size
3–4 eggs, in cup nests of mud, animal hair and fine grass
Size
23–28cm
The Tibetan blackbird is a relatively large thrush, 23 to 28cm long, found locally in the Himalayas of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China. Males are blackish brown all over with darker head, breast, wings and tail and a dull orange-yellow bill, while females have browner underparts, faint streaking on the throat and a dull darkish yellow bill. It lacks the common blackbird's eye-ring, and has a reduced song (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is usually found at 3,200 to 4,800m on steep grassy, rocky slopes and alpine meadows just above the tree line, descending in winter but seldom below 3,000m. It is omnivorous, eating invertebrates, lizards, fruit and seeds. Breeding is from May to July, in juniper or rhododendron bushes, with three or four eggs in a cup nest of mud, animal hair and fine grass. The song is a repetitious series of rapid grating notes, squeaks and drongo-like wheezes.
Quick answers
- What does the Tibetan Blackbird eat?
- Omnivorous: invertebrates, lizards, fruit and seeds
- What habitat does the Tibetan Blackbird live in?
- Steep grassy, rocky slopes and alpine meadows just above the tree line at 3,200–4,800m; nests in juniper or rhododendron bushes
- Where is the Tibetan Blackbird found?
- Locally in the Himalayas of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and China, from northern Pakistan to south-eastern Tibet
- How many eggs does the Tibetan Blackbird lay?
- 3–4 eggs, in cup nests of mud, animal hair and fine grass
- How big is the Tibetan Blackbird?
- 23–28cm