Ocellated Thrasher
Toxostoma ocellatum
Handsome and uncommon thrasher of oak scrub, thickets, and brushy woodland; endemic to interior highlands of central Mexico. Tosses leaves noisily on the ground, but is usually skulking and rarely seen unless singing. Sings year-round and at any time of day (but mainly early and late), often from a prominent perch. Note the long arched bill, pale eyebrow, brownish eyes, and bold black breast spots (like eyespots, hence the name ocellated). Curve-billed Thrasher occurs in the same areas and is more common, but has golden eyes and weak blurry spotting on breast; beware, song can be similar.
Identification
The ocellated thrasher is 26.5 to 29.5 cm (10.4 to 11.6 in) long; 14 specimens weighed 77.3 to 95.8 g (2.73 to 3.38 oz). Adults' upperparts are dark brown and have a slight olive wash. They have a dull white to buff supercilium and brown cheeks. The folded wings show two white bars and the outer tail feathers have narrow white tips. The underparts are whitish darkening to buff on the belly and brown on the flanks. The breast, sides, and flanks have bold black spots.
Taxonomy
The ocellated thrasher has two subspecies, the nominate T. o. ocellatum and T. o. villai.
- Scientific name
- Toxostoma ocellatum
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL, 1862)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Mimidae
- Genus
- Toxostoma
Range and habitat
The nominate subspecies of ocellated thrasher is found in central Mexico from San Luis Potosí south to the states of Hidalgo and México. T. o. villai is found in southern Mexico between Puebla and Oaxaca.<p>The ocellated thrasher inhabits a variety of landscapes including arid and semi-arid scrub and the brushy understory of oak and pine-oak forests. In elevation it ranges from 1,400 to 3,000 m (4,600 to 9,800 ft).
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The ocellated thrasher forages mostly in dense vegetation, on the ground or near it. Though its diet has not been documented, it is presumed to be mostly arthropods, other invertebrates, and possibly fruit.<p>Very little is known about the ocellated thrasher's breeding phenology. Its nest is a cup made of twigs and grass sited in a bush or tree. The clutch size is believed to be two.<p>The ocellated thrasher's song is "a varied, rich warbling in which phrases are repeated two or three times", often sung from atop a bush or tree. Its calls include "a hard, slightly smacking to gruff chehk or tchehk".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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