Hi Charles,
The separation in the field of the Russet-tailed and Bassian Thrushes is not
easy. They can be easily identified in the hand (during banding or when
found dead) by measuring the wing and tail and noting the amount and
arrangement of the white tongue in the tail. Birds at Pearl Beach are most
likely to be the Bassian Thrush but I did band a bird at Tumbi Umbi several
years ago that fitted, on measurement, the Russet-tailed Thrush. The best
field ID characters are the rump markings and white in the tail. The black
edging to the rump feathers is broad and obvious, similar to the back
feathers, in the Bassian, and narrower and paler than the back markings in
the Russet-tailed. The amount of white showing in the tail is greater in
the Russet-tailed. Generally the Russet-tailed is more reddish -brown while
the Bassian is olive-brown. The song of the Bassian is more drawn out and
is somewhat reminiscent of a Blackbird's song. Russet-tailed songs are of
shorter duration and lack the similarity to Blackbird's call. Contact
calls, as far as I am aware, are similar in both species being subdued and
wren-like.
Greg Clancy
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