Spectacled Thrush
Turdus nudigenis
A medium-sized, medium-brown denizen of open woodlands; found feeding both in the trees and on the ground. Best distinguished from similar Cocoa Thrush by its bold orange-yellow eyering and its somewhat pale bill. Song is a series of sweet up-slurred and down-slurred whistles. Most common calls, which are quite different from those of Cocoa Thrush, are an inflected catlike “mew-uh.”
Identification
The spectacled thrush is 23–24 cm (9.1–9.4 in) long and weighs 60 g (2.1 oz). It is plain olive-brown above and paler brown below. The throat is brown-streaked off-white, and the lower belly is whitish. It has a prominent yellow eye ring which gives rise to its English and scientific names.<p>There are two poorly defined subspecies, differing mainly in the darkness of the plumage. Sexes are similar, but young birds are flecked above and spotted below, and have a thinner eye ring.<p>The song is a musical warble, slower and lower pitched than that of the cocoa thrush (T. fumigatus), and it also produces a cat-like queeoow call and, when uncomfortable, emits a kereel.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Turdus nudigenis
- Authority
- Lafresnaye, 1848
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The habitat of this large thrush is open woodland, forest clearings and cultivation. The bare-eyed thrush mainly feeds on or near the ground on fruit, berries and some insects and earthworms. It is a shy species, but on Trinidad and Tobago it is much tamer, and will come to feeders and take food from tables.<p>The nest is a lined bulky cup of twigs low in a tree. The two to three reddish-blotched deep-blue eggs are incubated by the female alone.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-browed Mountain Greenbul
Arizelocichla fusciceps
Medium-sized greenbul with a narrow, broken pale eye-ring. The back is olive-green and the head and underparts gray, with a faint black stripe above the eye. Found in and around montane forest. The song is a short series of barking and mewing notes. Similar to Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, but separated by lack of cheek striping. Also similar to Shelley’s Greenbul, but identified by gray rather than olive-green head.
Sombre Nightjar
Caprimulgus fraenatus
A medium-sized typical nightjar with a golden-buff collar. Both sexes have small pale marks in the outer wings and at the corners of the tail. These are larger and whiter on males, and smaller and more buffy in females. Generally local and uncommon in savanna and grassland habitats, often in rocky areas. Similar to Nubian Nightjar, but darker overall, with less rufous in the wings. Also similar to many other nightjars, and best identified by voice. Call is a high-pitched, mechanical trill, similar to that of Plain Nightjar, but slightly lower-pitched.
Madagascar Flufftail
Sarothrura insularis
Tiny, skulking rail-like bird that is unlikely to be seen unless you’re expressly looking for it. The male is boldly red and black with white stripes, while the female is brownish and much plainer. Found on the ground in forest, scrub, heath, and wetlands in eastern, central, and northern Madagascar. Extremely shy and elusive, and most often detected by voice: a loud and explosive couple of “ki-dit” calls followed by a very long series of shorter “kit” notes. Much shorter-billed than the very rare Slender-billed Flufftail. All other rails are larger and have different coloration.
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