First photographic record of Naumann’s Thrush Turdus naumanni Temminck, 1820 from Assam, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10462.18.5.28991-28994Keywords:
Additional distribution records, migratory bird, northeastern India, thursh, winter migrationAbstract
Naumann’s Thrush Turdus naumanni Temminck, 1820, is a Palearctic thrush that undertakes regular winter movements into eastern Asia and occasional irruptive southward dispersals; these movements track resources, support population connectivity, and signal large-scale weather/climatic displacements. The Brahmaputra Valley’s grassland–agroecosystem mosaics are important reception and foraging areas for such Palearctic vagrants. On 13 January 2026, a female T. naumanni was photographed at Panbari, Dhemaji District (~105 m elevation); detailed images and expert review confirmed a pure individual (extensive rufous-orange underparts, pale supercilium, brown-rufous chest streaking, pale brown upperparts, and no hybrid wing panels). This is the first confirmed photographic record for Dhemaji District and an unusually low-elevation winter occurrence for India, underscoring the value of targeted winter monitoring of open grassland/agro-habitats and systematic photographic documentation to distinguish pure versus hybrid thrushes.
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