A colorful bird with black, white, and rusty orange feathers stands on a log against a blurred brown background.

Chestnut-backed thrush

The chestnut-backed thrush is an elusive inhabitant of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.

Chestnut-backed thrushGeokichla dohertyi

  • Class:

    Aves

  • Order:

    Passeriformes

  • Family:

    Turdidae

About the chestnut-backed thrush

Though it spends much of its time tucked away in high-altitude canopies, it's fundamentally a ground-dwelling bird, routinely flying between the heights of the forest and the floor, foraging for fruit in mid-level trees and hunting insects among leaf litter on the forest floor.

Chestnut-backed thrush are an omnivorous songbird that measures 20-22cm in length. True to its name, it is easily identified by its vibrant chestnut back, which provides a sharp contrast to its pale belly and intricate dark head pattern. While these thrushes are typically found alone or in pairs, they occasionally forage in small groups for insects and fruit. Beyond their striking appearance, they are known for their beautiful songs, and have a lifespan of 8-12 years.

Our chestnut-backed thrush can be found in the Gems of the Jungle exhibit.

Conservation

The chestnut-backed thrush is classified as Near Concern on the IUCN Red List - the species survival is increasingly at risk due to widespread habitat loss because of mass deforestation

Interesting facts