Scientific name: Turdus torquatus Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Thrushes and allies
Field characters. 24 cm. Resembles Blackbird in size and structure, and overall colours similarly dark. Wings longer and more pointed. Main distinguishing character is the white breastband; also white edges on the flight feathers, forming a light wing panel, and light chevrons on the underparts, formed by light edges on the body feathers, giving a scaly appearance. Male dark sooty brown, female lighter brown or greyish, but sometimes almost as dark as male; never reddish like female Blackbird. Bill with much orange or yellow in male, usually browner in female. Juvenile without obvious breastband of adults, sometimes appearing striped rather than scaly. Shy. In breeding season in singles or pairs, on migration in small flocks; a few may occasionally get mixed up in large flocks of other thrushes.
Voice. Song simple repetition of a few fluting tones. Call loud 'tac tac', resembling call of Fieldfare, and a clear 'tee-u'.
Distribution. Generally uncommon, but may be locally abundant.
Habitat. Breeds on open, often treeless, mountainous moorland and among dwarf scrub of boulder-strewn mountain slopes in north part of region, more in treeline scrub mountain tops in southern part. On migration found in a variety of open country, but usually close to dense cover. In winter found in mountains, and high open plains, with enough cover.
Food. During summer invertebrates, among which many earthworms; in winter mainly fruits. Feeds on the ground or in low bushes.