From photographs of a bird found dead on the Esperance (WA) tug on 20 June
2011, we may finally have an Australian record of the long overdue SIBERIAN
THRUSH! The specimen looks to be a bit damaged but fairly fresh, not
decomposed. So it would have been alive quite close to that very southern
Australian port. So one possible concern is the provenance of the specimen.
The other, I hope a minor problem is the ID. Most visible characters point
to that species but there are some inconsistencies. Most significant is that
in addition to the two typical striking Zoothera white underwing bars there
is a third of which I can find no mention! The tips of the underside of the
secondaries are also white forming another white band! Moreover the white
supercilium appears to extend right to the bill. This perhaps could be a
feature of a first year bird which would fit with pale areas on throat and
belly. In some views the tail appears to be missing but in one there are
feathers with large white tips that would match those of a Siberian Thrush.
Whether the specimen will make it to Ron Johnstone and John Darnell at the
WA Museum is not yet clear as AQIS took charge of it and may not be aware of
its rarity. Watch this space.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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