Orange-headed Thrush

ORANGE-HEADED THRUSH (Geokichla citrina)

 

             This is a resident, shy, jungle dweller and sometimes a partial migrant, found in Himalayan states, Eastern and Peninsular India. These are forest loving species and inhabit damp forests with plentiful undergrowth, heavy jungle, shady groves, mixed secondary forests and bamboo jungle. Their microhabitat or niche are usually the upper zones of the trees. However, these are ground feeders; insectivorous (feeds on insects of the forest litter floor), feeds on earthworms and is said to be frugivorous too. Usually, their beaks are observed to be muddy because these rummage amongst the leaves and fallen debris, tossing and turning them over in a constant search for insects, slugs, snails.

Orange headed ground thrushes are Crepuscular, matutinal, found solitary or in pairs and exhibit sexual dimorphism. Males have white chin and throat; wings are long and pointed; wings and tail brown, white median glossy grey wing coverts, upper parts are glossy grey, whitish vent. Females have dull glossy greenish brown upper parts and brownish olive green wings, and tail is comparatively short. In breeding season, the males produce a pleasant and energetic song from a perch well up in the tree heard only in the early mornings and late evenings. Nest is broad, shallow and is  made up of moss, grass, stalks, and the inside of the net is lined with fine roots and black hair like roots of moss and ferns. Base of the nest is built by mud and clay. Nests are usually built in the fork of trees.

Conservation status: Least concerned

The above picture was taken in Chennai on a rooftop after a cyclonic storm

References

Ali S. 1996. The book of Indian birds. 12^th Salim Ali centenary edition revised and enlarged. Oxford University Press.

Jepson P. 2008. Orange-headed thrush Zoothera citrina and the avian X-factor. Birding ASIA, 9: 58-60.

Kristianto I, Jepson P. 2011. Harvesting orange-headed thrush Zoothera citrina chicks in Bali, Indonesia: magnitude, practices and sustainability. Fauna & Flora International, Oryx, 45(4): 492-499.

Sibley CG, Monroe BL. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven.

Sin YCK, Ng D, Kennewell M. 2020. An unprecedented influx of vagrants into Malaysia and Singapore during the 2019-2020 winter period. Birding ASIA, 33: 142-147.

Thirumalai G, Krishnan S. 2005. Pictorial handbook – Birds of Chennai. Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India.

Whistler H. 1935. Popular handbook of Indian birds. 2^nd Edition. Oliver and Boyd Ltd., Edinburgh.

 Picture: John Ravindran (johnravindran@gmail.com)

 Content: 1. Samuel Tennyson (Creator; samtennyson@gmail.com)
                2. John Ravindran (Reviewer)