About Zoothera dauma (Latham, 1790)
This species, Zoothera dauma, shows no noticeable external difference between males and females. Adults measure 27 to 31 centimeters in length, with black scaling patterns over a paler white or yellowish base color. When the bird is in flight, its most distinctive identifying characteristic is a black band across the white underwings. This trait is shared with most other species in the genus Zoothera, and also with the Siberian thrush, which belongs to the genus Geokichla. The male’s song is a loud, far-traveling mechanical whistle. Each one-second phrase (sounding like twee...tuuu....tuuu....tuuu) is separated by pauses of 5 to 10 seconds. For distribution and habitat, this species breeds in dense wet forests, ranging from the Himalayas eastward through southwestern China to northern Indochina. It also has disjunct populations on Iriomote Island off southern Japan, and on Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, though these disjunct populations may represent separate species.
