Turdus mandarinus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
The Chinese blackbird (Turdus mandarinus) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was formerly considered conspecific with the related common blackbird (T. merula). The Chinese blackbird (T. m. mandarinus) breeds throughout much of southern, central and eastern China. It is a partial migrant to Hong Kong and south to Laos and Vietnam. The male is sooty black, and the female is similar but browner, and paler on the underparts. It is a large subspecies.
Sowerby's blackbird (T. m. sowerbyi), named for James Sowerby, British naturalist and illustrator, breeds from eastern Sichuan to Guizhou. It is partially migratory, with some individuals spending the winter in southern China and northern Indochina. It resembles mandarinus, but is smaller and darker below.
It is typically monogamous, but some exceptions have been observed. It is omnivorous. During the breeding season, it primarily feeds on earthworms. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chișinău Zoo | 🇲🇩 Moldova |
Very likely
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Blackbird sighting in Shanghai on a given day, based on 3,778 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 202 birds we can rate there.
May and July
In those months over 90% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Blackbird in Shanghai on a given day, against about 80% in September, the lowest month.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chinese Blackbird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 40 cities where we can rate Chinese Blackbird sightings, Shanghai ranks 2nd at about 90%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Suzhou (China, about 90%).
Same genus: Turdus
The closest relatives of the Chinese Blackbird that you can see in Shanghai (genus Turdus, Typical Thrushes) are Pale Thrush (about 30%), Grey-backed Thrush (about 20%) and Dusky Thrush (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chinese Blackbird is recorded against all the birds logged in Shanghai (3,778 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
