The Chinese blackbird is a large thrush that breeds across much of China; males are all black with an orange-yellow bill. It was long treated as the same species as the Eurasian blackbird of Europe. It is not found in the US, and some birds winter as far south as Vietnam and Laos.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 10–11 in (25–28 cm) long. Males are sooty black with an orange-yellow bill and ; females are browner and paler below, with a darker bill.
- Voice
- A clear, flutelike song.
Where it lives
- Range
- Breeds across southern, central, and eastern China. Some birds move south in winter to Hong Kong, Laos, and Vietnam. It occasionally strays to Korea and Japan, and in recent years has begun nesting in South Korean city parks.
Behavior
- Social life
- Pairs are usually monogamous.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Once lumped with the common blackbird (Turdus merula), it is now treated as a separate species because of differences in size, appearance, and song. There are two subspecies: the larger mandarinus of much of China, and the smaller, darker sowerbyi, which breeds from eastern Sichuan to Guizhou.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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