Geokichla spiloptera
Silhouette: Francesco "Architetto" Rollandin · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The spot-winged thrush (Geokichla spiloptera) is an Asian thrush, a group within the large thrush family Turdidae. It is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka. Adults of this medium-sized thrush, which measures 21 to 23 cm (8.3 to 9.1 in) in total length and weighs 70 g (2.5 oz) are light brown above with a double wing bar of white spots. The pale face has two dark bars. The underparts are white with heavy spotting. The bill is black and legs are yellow. The song is a rich and varied whistling. Young birds have buff streaking on the upperparts, and the face and the underparts are light brown with heavy streaking.
This uncommon species breeds in hill rainforests, and to a lesser extent in drier woodlands, at altitudes between 500 and 2000 m. The wintering areas are similar but include less well-wooded areas, and are generally at 750 to 1500 m altitude. The spot-winged thrush is generally solitary and can be quite secretive, especially in the dense undergrowth and bamboo clumps it favours.
The loose cup nests are lined with vegetation and placed in a tree fork. 2-3 buff or bluish-green eggs are laid. This species raises two broods each year... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Spot-winged Thrush sighting in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 52nd most-seen of the 102 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spot-winged Thrush in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, April and June–August, the lowest months. That is one of Horton Plains National Park's driest months, with about 90 mm of rain against 370 mm in October.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spot-winged Thrush sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Spot-winged Thrush sightings, Horton Plains National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Sri Lanka, about 50%).
Same family: Turdidae
The closest relatives of the Spot-winged Thrush that you can see in Horton Plains National Park (family Turdidae, Thrushes) are Indian Blackbird (about 70%) and Sri Lanka Thrush (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spot-winged Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Horton Plains National Park (34 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
