African Thrush
Turdus pelios
This widespread thrush shows a large amount of geographical variation. The upperparts are generally gray-brown, while the underparts can be buff, gray, or rufous. All across the range, shows a yellow bill. Found in a range of habitats, including forest edge, woodland, gardens, and cultivation. In areas without Abyssinian Thrush, also occurs in montane forest. The song is a pretty, variable series of chatty whistles and trills which can continue for a long time without a pause. Similar to Abyssinian Thrush, but found at lower elevations in areas of overlap, and is generally paler, with a paler yellow bill.
Identification
The African Thrush has dark olive-grey upperparts. The underparts show a whitish evenly brown- streaked side throat, the breast is greyish brown and the flanks are pale buff-orange with this colour not extending on to the lower breast, the belly and vent are white. It has a yellow-orange bill. It weighs 46–78 g (1.6–2.8 oz) and measures 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) in length.<p>The song of the African thrush is a sustained, clear warbling made up of different phrases repeated rather randomly in a sequence. Also a high-pitched squealing flight call.
Taxonomy
The African thrush may be part of a superspecies with the Kurrichane thrush and the bare-eyed thrush, and some subspecies of African thrush (T.p. poensis, T.p.nigrilorum, T.p. centralis and T.p. chinguanicoides) have been considered subspecies of olive thrush.<p>The currently recognised subspecies and their distributions are:
- Scientific name
- Turdus pelios
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1850
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
Range and habitat
The African thrush is distributed from Senegal and Gambia in the west to South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea south to northwestern Zambia and western Angola. The African thrush can be found in all sorts of wooded habitats including forest edge, riparian woodland, scrub cultivation, parks and gardens.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Fork-tailed Woodnymph
Thalurania furcata
Fairly small fork-tailed hummingbird of lowlands. Males have an iridescent green head and breast and a violet belly, but in poor light appears evenly dark overall. Females are green above, light gray below. Note the slightly drooping bill on both sexes. One of the most common hummingbirds in lowland Amazonia; found in a variety of open forested habitats from young rainforest and forest edges to treefall gaps and gardens.
Brown Nunlet
Nonnula brunnea
Small puffbird found in in lowland rainforest east of the Andes in Ecuador, northern Peru, and southern Colombia. It has brown upperparts, buffy underparts, and a thin orange eye-ring. The bill is impressively large compared to the overall size of the bird, with long bristles at the base. It inhabits lower to middle levels of the forest, where it perches quietly before sallying out after prey. Typical song is a series of ten or more soft, mellow whistles.
Galapagos Petrel
Pterodroma phaeopygia
Endangered seabird that nests only in Galápagos. Outside the breeding season, it disperses over the eastern Pacific and usually stays far from land. Note distinctive black-and-white pattern on underwing, mostly white underparts, and dark upperparts that extend down through its face to sides of neck; no other seabird found in and near Galápagos shares these features. When seen from above, it appears all dark except for some white around the base of the bill. Almost always encountered at sea, since it travels to and from its highland nesting sites only at night.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.