Scaly Thrush

Scientific name	Zoothera dauma
English name	Scaly Thrush
Japanese name	虎鶫
Class	Aves
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Turdidae
Genus	Zoothera
Species	dauma
Subspecies	---
Full length	about 30cm
Distribution	Year-round inhabiting Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku

Characteristics

It makes a whistling-like call at night. The entire body from head to wings and tail is yellow to brown with scaly black spots. The belly is slightly whitish and the legs are pale red. When walking in the forest, it is hard to find because it is assimilated with the ground.

Tiger thrush chirping

The cries of Japanese tiger thrushes that echo in the forest at night have long been regarded as eerie, and have been called "Nue." The tiger thrush calls during the breeding season from April to July, from midnight to early morning.

It also appears in Japanese literature such as Manyoshu, and the word 'Nue Bird' has become a 'makurakotoba(customary epithet)'.

Picture of Scaly Thrush

Ecology

Inhabit broadleaf forests such as hills and low mountains. It can also be seen in urban areas and parks. It is omnivorous and eats insects and earthworms in the soil by walking among fallen leaves. At that time, shake your body as if you were dancing.

They breed in nests built on trees from April to July, and during this time they make a unique whistle-like cry at night.

Although it has been confirmed in areas with snow such as Hokkaido, it migrates to warmer areas as a summer bird.

Habitat

Hachioji City Tama Forest Science Garden

Found on the roadside in Tama Forest Science Park, Hachioji City. It was a cloudy day and I could see something moving on the slope of the forest, but it was assimilated with the ground and I could not find it easily. If you look closely, you can see this slightly larger bird walking on the ground. After a while, it stayed in one place, digging, and eating something. The other birds were not good, but I could not hear the song of the tiger thrush because it was daytime.

Grasslands in Hachioji City

I took this picture while foraging in the grasslands in Hachioji city. It was a bright time before noon, so I was able to observe it well. While walking little by little, it advanced while performing a dance unique to the tiger thrush.