Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Drab, uniformly brown thrush with slightly warmer belly. Dull yellowish bill and very faint streaks on throat. Very common and widespread throughout Central America; limited U.S. range. Found in a variety of shrubby wooded habitats, towns, and parks. Unique color and blandness makes this rarity unlikely to be confused with other species. Tends to stay on the ground or in low vegetation, either singly or in pairs. Song is a varied series of phrases similar to a mockingbird.
Identification
In general appearance and habits it resembles other Turdus thrushes such as the American robin. It is about the same length or slightly smaller: 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in), and weighs 74–76 g (2.6–2.7 oz) on average. The plumage is brownish, somewhat lighter below than above, lightest on the flanks. Birds from humid regions are darker than those from dry regions. The throat is faintly streaked. Immature birds have faint mottling on the back and underparts. The bill is greenish-yellow with a dark base, the legs are pinkish or flesh-colored, and the irises are reddish—all useful identification points.<p>The song, rather low-pitched and with a slow steady tempo, consists of many slurred musical phrases which are often repeated irregularly. The tock flight call is like the American robin's but harsher. T. grayi's dry season mating call is quite region-specific, with noticeable differences in calls just a few hundred miles apart.<p>The clay-colored thrush usually forages for fruit or invertebrates on the ground or near it, singly or in pairs, but flocks may feed high in fruiting trees. It will follow army ants to feed on small prey disturbed by the ant columns.<p>It builds a heavy cup nest of grass, moss, feathers, leaves and mud on a firm support above the ground, which may include human constructions such as windowsills. It lays 2 to 4 pale blue eggs with red-brown and gray markings between March and July and may double-brood. It is aggressive in defense of its nest, having been known to mob raptors as large as golden eagles, but is not otherwise particularly territorial. Aggressive defense against brood parasites may explain why it has not evolved complete recognition of brood parasite eggs; it is one of only very few species of birds that are partial ejectors, with only about 25% of individuals ejecting parasitic eggs of the bronzed cowbird.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Turdus grayi
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1838
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
Range and habitat
It ranges from South Texas (where it is rapidly expanding its range) to northern Colombia. West and north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it is limited to the Atlantic slope, except for a population around Oaxaca City, Mexico that probably originates from escaped cage birds. In much of its range it is familiar in yards and gardens, similar to some other thrushes such as the American robin, the Eurasian blackbird, and the song thrush.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Northern Slaty Brushfinch
Atlapetes schistaceus
Mostly gray brushfinch found from Venezuela to Ecuador. Bold head pattern with rufous crown, white throat, and black mustache stripe. Note also small white patch at base of primaries. A high elevation species, occurring in scrubby habitats from around 2,500-3,400m. Pairs usually forage at lower levels, sometimes accompanying a mixed-species flock. Relatively simple song usually heard only at dawn. More often heard is the complex descending chatter given as two birds approach each other.
Burchell's Starling
Lamprotornis australis
A large, long-tailed, iridescent blue-green to purple glossy starling with barred wings, and a round-tipped tail. Pairs, groups, and small flocks are resident in dry savanna, especially near thorn trees, where they have become common in camps and often associate with humans. The species feeds on the ground, walking with long strides and sitting low in trees, searching for insects, small vertebrates, and plant matter to eat. The similar Meves’s Starling differs from Burchell’s Starling by being bluer and smaller, with a more strongly graduated tail that is proportionately longer.
American Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber
Unmistakable but very local wading bird with very long, ‘coat-hanger’ neck and very long legs. Adult is hot pink, but 1st-year birds are brown and white overall, attaining fully adult colors in 2-3 years. Usually found in flocks in shallow, saline lagoons. Flamingoes fly in straggling lines, much like geese, and their honking and braying calls can also sound rather like geese. Beware that many people use ‘flamingo’ for Roseate Spoonbill, another (much more widespread) pink wading bird, which other than color is very differently shaped than a flamingo.
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