This thrush breeds in the eastern and northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China. Males show black and chestnut markings, and winter records in the Himalayas are vagrants.
It is about 28 cm long. Males have a black head, wings, and tail, with chestnut areas on parts of the back and belly. Females are duller, and juveniles are spotted.
It searches on the ground for insects and worms and also eats berries in autumn. In winter, some birds move down from higher areas, and flocks may form.
It breeds from May to August. It builds a cup nest from grass stems, feathers, and hair in a bush or beneath a rock over a streambed, and lays 3–4 eggs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.