Groundscraper Thrush
Turdus litsitsirupa
A tall, bold, long-legged, short-tailed thrush with gray-brown upperparts, heavily spotted white underparts, and a strongly marked face. In flight, shows distinctive large buff patches in the broad wings. Pairs and small groups occupy moorland, grassland, and open woodland, favoring heavily grazed and burned areas. Runs long distances on the ground hunting invertebrates, stopping bolt upright and flicking its wings. The song is a grating, unmelodic “lit-sit-siru-pa.” The call is a rattle of variable speed.
Identification
The groundscraper thrush (Turdus litsitsirupa) is a passerine bird of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the thrush family, Turdidae. It was previously considered the only member of the genus Psophocichla, but phylogenetic analysis supports it belonging in the genus Turdus, where it forms a sister group to the remaining Turdus species. It is 22–24 centimetres (8.7–9.4 in) long with an erect posture, short tail, heavy bill and fairly long legs. The upperparts are plain grey-brown with a chestnut wing-panel. The underparts are white with black spots and the face is white with bold black markings. The underwing has a black and white pattern which is visible during the undulating flight. The bird has a slow whistled song and a clicking call. There are three subspecies; T. l. litsitsirupa is the most southerly form, occurring from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique south to northern and eastern parts of South Africa. T. l. pauciguttata is found in southern Angola, northern Namibia and north-west Botswana, while T. l. stierlingae occurs in a band from northern Angola across to western Tanzania, Malawi and north-west Mozambique. It can be tame and will forage in parks, gardens and around picnic sites. The Ethiopian thrush (Turdus simensis) was formerly treated as a fourth subspecies, but is genetically as well as geographically distinct. The cup-shaped nest is built using vegetation and spider-webs and is lined with feathers or leaves. Three or four eggs are laid and are incubated for 14 to 15 days. They are bluish with lilac and red-brown spots and blotches.
Taxonomy
Genus: Turdus; Family: Turdidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Turdus litsitsirupa
- Authority
- (Smith, A, 1836)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Masked Trogon
Trogon personatus
Average red-bellied trogon of subtropical forests. Male is iridescent green on breast, head, and back; female is brown. Namesake dark mask is usually obvious, especially on females. Nearly identical to Collared Trogon but very little overlap; Masked is almost always found at higher elevations. Where both are possible, look especially at tail pattern on males: large white tips on underside of tail feathers, otherwise dark with very fine white barring. On females, look for evenly barred undertail with large white tips combined with contrasting black face. Usually found singly or in pairs, perched quietly from the understory to the subcanopy. Listen for slow series of 3–6 descending whistles.
Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat
Cossypha cyanocampter
A colorful robin-chat of humid forest habitats. The head is strikingly patterned, with a black cap and cheek, a white eyebrow, and an orange throat. The shoulder has a pale blue patch that can be largely or completely obscured. The tail has a dark center and broad orange sides. Found in the understory of various types of forest at low and middle elevations, including rainforest, gallery forest, and secondary forest. Similar to White-browed Robin-Chat, though generally found in more forested environments. Separated by the blue shoulder and the different and far more variable song. The song is a complex, variable, and musical mix of whistles and many other types of notes that usually also includes imitations of other birds.
Rufous-tailed Foliage-gleaner
Anabacerthia ruficaudata
A medium-sized bird, brownish above and pale buff below, with a bright rufous tail and a distinctive buffy line behind the eye. Found in tall rainforest, where it occurs mainly in the midstory and canopy. Feeds on insects and forages actively, often investigating dead leaf clusters and other accumulations of detritus. Song is fairly fast series of nasal upslurred notes, sometimes preceded by a fast series of sharper nasal calls. Most similar to Rufous-rumped Foliage-gleaner, but Rufous-tailed is somewhat smaller and usually in higher levels in the forest. Note also Rufous-tailed’s brown rump contrasting with the rufous tail.
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