Naumann’s Thrush
Turdus naumanni
Naumann's Thrush is a rare migrant to Britain, typically seen during the autumn and winter months, with sightings mostly confined to the eastern and southern coasts. It is a scarce visitor to the UK, with only a handful of records, often associated with other thrush species.
Field Identification Guide
Use these features to identify Naumann’s Thrush in the field.
The species can be identified by its brown back, wings, and tail, greyish-brown breast, and distinctive white underside with dark spots, as well as its rounded head and short tail. Its overall appearance is similar to other thrushes, but the combination of these features helps to distinguish it.
Naumann's Thrush is slightly smaller than a Song Thrush, but larger than a Redwing, making it a medium-sized thrush.
The male Naumann's Thrush has a brown back, wings, and tail, with a greyish-brown breast and a white underside covered in dark spots, with little to no seasonal variation in its plumage.
The female Naumann's Thrush is similar to the male, with no significant differences in plumage, making it challenging to distinguish between the sexes based on appearance alone.
The call of Naumann's Thrush is a sharp, high-pitched "tik" or "tsik", often repeated in a series, while its song is a melodic, whistled phrase, but these are rarely heard in Britain due to its scarcity.
Naumann's Thrush is a ground-foraging bird, feeding on insects, fruits, and berries, and is often seen running or hopping on the ground in search of food, with a direct and purposeful flight style when disturbed.
Naumann's Thrush can be confused with the Song Thrush and the Dusky Thrush, but it can be distinguished from these species by its more rounded head, shorter tail, and distinctive breast spotting, as well as its overall brownish-grey plumage tone.
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