Often seen swirling in flocks above mountain passes, scrubby alpine forests, and highland meadows, this large thrush is unlike any other. Adult male is a deep, almost eye-searing blue with jet-black wings. Females and immatures are brown with white streaks all over the head and underparts and weak white bars on the wings. Long-billed and sharp-winged profile, along with flocking behavior, is more reminiscent of starlings than thrushes.

Grandala Grandala coelicolor ranges across the Himalayas to the Tibetan Plateau in China. Present in eastern Tibet and northern Yunnan north to western Sichuan, eastern Qinghai, and southwestern Gansu. HABITAT Breeds on barren, wind-swept slopes above scrub line, to 5500 m (18,050 ft.); descends in winter to 1820 m (5,970 ft.).

BEHAVIOR Often in large flocks. Feeds on invertebrates and berries on ground, flicking wings and tail like a chat and perching on rocks. ID Male unmistakable, slim and long-winged, with plumage a shimmering cobalt blue except for black lores, wings, and slightly forked tail. Female grey-brown with extensive white streaking on head, upper mantle, and underparts; white scaling on vent and undertail coverts; two white patches on folded wing, one on primaries and one on secondaries (showing as wingbar in flight); and a blue tinge to rump and uppertail coverts.

Juvenile like female but lacks blue wash on rump and uppertail coverts, is slightly more heavily streaked, and has white eye-ring and white tips to tertials and greater coverts (much less obvious in adult females).

BARE PARTS Bill black in adults, yellowish-grey in juveniles; feet black in adults, greyish in juveniles. VOICE Piercing, melodious and down-slurred "tiyoo" call. Song consists of 5 or 6 notes, similar to call in tune but more warbling.

Population justification: The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as locally abundant in the Himalayas and uncommon to locally common in China (del Hoyo et al. 2005). Trend justification: The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.