The Tibetan blackbird inhabits steep grassy, rocky slopes and alpine meadows above the tree line.

The Tibetan blackbird was originally described as Merula maxima by Henry Seebohm in 1881 on the basis of a specimen collected by Thomas Jerdon in Gulmarg, Kashmir.

[3][4] It was subsequently considered a subspecies of the common blackbird by Charles Richmond in 1896,[5] and was moved to Turdus with that species.

[7] Richard and Annie Meinertzhagen described a proposed subspecies buddae on the basis of the smaller bills of birds from Sikkim and Gyangtse in 1925,[4] but this character is not consistent throughout the population, and the species is consequently treated as being monotypic.

Females have blackish-brown upperparts and browner underparts, with faint streaking on the throat and a dull darkish yellow bill.

[11] The song of the Tibetan blackbird is repetitious series of rapid grating notes, unpleasant squeaks, drongo-like wheezes, and guttural caws, with sporadic piew-piew whistles, given from a ridge top, rock, or trees.

During the breeding season, it inhabits steep grassy, rocky slopes and alpine meadows just above the tree line at elevations of 3,200–4,800 m (10,500–15,700 ft).

[11] The Tibetan blackbird is omnivorous, feeding on earthworms, molluscs, insects, small lizards, fruit, and seeds.

Nests are built in roots on the ground, at the foot of a boulder, in low bushes, on cliff faces, or against rocky walls.