Pied Thrush Geokichla wardii Scientific name definitions

18–20 cm; 52–72 g. Male is black above and to mid-breast, white from mid-breast to undertail-coverts, with black chevrons on flanks; white lores to super­cilium, lesser and median wing-coverts, wingbar, and tips of flight-feathers and rump ; bill and legs yellow. Female is greyish olive-brown above and on face, with buffy lores to supercilium and two spotted wingbars , brownish-olive malar dividing broad buffy-white, slightly scaled submoustachial and chin, shading to whitish and brown spotting and scaling below, with olive-brown wash on breast , white undertail-coverts; bill and legs dusky-yellowish. Immature is like female but darker; young male like adult but with whitish throat and breast spots.

Himalayas of N India (W Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and Nepal; non-breeding mainly in Sri Lanka.

Two species of beetle, a fly and a centipede found in one stomach. Partial to mulberries but also other fruit, including guava and wild fig. Forages in litter in undergrowth, turning over leaves; also in taller berry-bearing trees. Visits dungheaps in winter.

Song a protracted unmusical sequence of spaced whistled phrases, each consisting of 2–4 short, sweet, high notes, last often a rattled “tsrrrii” or “tzit”. Alarm call a spitting “ptz-ptz-ptz-ptz”.