A thrush of the Tanimbar Islands, the Slaty-backed Thrush stands out for its bold black, white, and gray pattern. It forages on the forest floor and may perch just below the canopy when singing.
Gray upperparts meet a black head marked by a bold white cheek patch and a long white eyebrow. The throat and chest are black, while the clean white belly has black spots on its upper part.
It forages on the ground in forest and often perches just below the canopy when singing. Its complex song has melodious, mostly rising whistle phrases with quick call notes between them.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.