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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Turdidae
  4. ›
  5. Zoothera
  6. ›
  7. Russet-tailed Thrush
Russet-tailed Thrush
Photo · John Robert McPherson

BirdUp · Species

Russet-tailed Thrush

Zoothera heinei(Cabanis, 1851)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Turdidae
Genus
Zoothera

At a glance

The Russet-tailed Thrush is a medium-sized bird, about 26–28 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
26–28 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Russet-tailed Thrush look like?

The Russet-tailed Thrush is a medium-sized bird, about 26–28 cm long and weighing 71–115 g.

The russet-tailed thrush is a species of bird in the family Turdidae, closely related to the more widespread Bassian thrush. It is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
26–28 cm
Weight
71–115 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Russet-tailed Thrush?

The Russet-tailed Thrush is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Russet-tailed Thrush eat?

The Russet-tailed Thrush feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Russet-tailed Thrush live in Australia?

The Russet-tailed Thrush is native to Australia, recorded across 10 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNew Guinea to St. Matthias (north-central Bismarck Arch.), Choiseul (north-central Solomon Is.) and east-central Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident

2 regions recorded