White-eyed Thrush
Turdus jamaicensis
A medium-sized dusky bird that prefers moist montane forests, but can be also found in most wooded areas with dense vegetation. Feeds in trees and on the ground. Its namesake white eye is distinctive, but its bright broken white throat collar, contrasting so markedly with its dark plumage, is also unique. Shier than the somewhat similar White-chinned Thrush, which has a dark eye, orange bill and legs, and lacks a white collar. The White-eyed Thrush’s song is a long series of highly variable, repeated phrases (phrases most often repeated thrice, but commonly from two to five times). Calls include a plaintive whistled “weee-woooo,” with the first note slightly higher and a quick, almost ducklike “yak.”
Taxonomy
The white-eyed thrush was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus and coined the binomial name Turdus jamaicensis. Gmelin based his account on the "Jamaica thrush" that had been described in 1783 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. Latham had examined a specimen in the collection of the British Museum. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Turdus jamaicensis
- Authority
- Gmelin, JF, 1789
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Spot-breasted Wren
Pheugopedius maculipectus
Small, skulking wren of vine tangles and thickets in tropical lowlands. Like most wrens, heard far more often than seen. Rollicking, ‘happy,’ whistled song is a duet between male and female, keeping them in touch with each other. Rising call note sounds like a finger run along a comb. Plumage is rich rusty brown overall, with white eyebrow and dense black spotting on whitish breast.
Stripe-breasted Wren
Cantorchilus thoracicus
Medium-sized wren, brown above with bold black-and-white streaking on face and breast. Distinctive in range. Fond of viney tangles at middle heights, but can be difficult to see through vegetation. Variable song always includes sweet repeated whistles, sometimes very simple but can be more complex, similar to other wrens.
Panao Antpitta
Grallaria oneilli
One of several new antpittas that were previously considered to be forms of what was then called Rufous Antpitta. Panao Antpitta is restricted to a small area of the eastern Andes in central Peru east of the city of Huánuco. Plumage is mainly chestnut brown but is slightly brighter below and has a pale belly patch that is hard to see. Similar to Oxapampa Antpitta, but usually shows a faint, partial eyering and has a different voice. Gives a short “dit-purr” as well as a burst of squeaky notes that rises and speeds up at the end. Inhabits high elevation cloud forest and normally stays on the ground unless singing.
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