Scaly-breasted Thrasher
Allenia fusca
A drab-colored and inconspicuous species typically found from the middle level to the canopy in woodlands, where it mostly feeds on fruits. This species can be distinguished from similarly shaped and colored Pearly-eyed Thrasher by its short dark bill and barred, not streaked, underparts. Song is a deliberate series of high-pitched squeaks and lower-pitched whistles. Most common call is a high, thin whistle.
Identification
The scaly-breasted thrasher is approximately 23 cm (9.1 in) long and weighs 53 to 98 g (1.9 to 3.5 oz) with an average weight of 67 g (2.4 oz). With its rather short and slightly decurved bill, this thrasher resembles a thrush. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a dark gray-brown head and upperparts with a reddish tinge on the rump. Their tail is a darker brownish black and its outer feathers have white tips. The folded wing shows a single white bar. Their chin and throat are whitish with brown streaks. The underparts are whitish and the chest and flanks have bold gray-brown markings that give the eponymous scaly appearance.<p>The other subspecies differ mostly in size and the intensity of their upperparts' color. A. f. hypenema is the largest and is paler than the nominate. A. f. schwartzi is mid-sized and has more white on its tail. A. f. vincenti is the smallest and is darker overall than the nominate. A. f. atlantica compared to the nominate is more reddish brown above and has less white in the tail.
Taxonomy
The scaly-breasted thrasher was originally placed in genus Margarops with the pearly-eyed thrasher (M. fuscatus) but is now in the monotypic genus Allenia. It has five subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Allenia fusca
- Authority
- (Müller, PLS, 1776)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Mimidae
- Genus
- Allenia
Range and habitat
The subspecies of scaly-breasted thrasher are found thus:<p>The scaly-breasted thrasher primarily inhabits forest and semi-open woodland and is also found around human settlements.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The scaly-breasted thrasher forages in trees; on different islands it hunts at different levels from low down to high in the canopy. It is omnivorous; its diet includes arthropods, fruits, and berries. It appears to eat a larger percentage of vegetable foods than other thrashers.<p>The scaly-breasted thrasher breeds in May and June. It builds a cup nest in a bush or tree. The clutch size is two or three.<p>The scaly-breasted thrasher's song is a "[s]eries of varied notes and phrases" similar to that of Mimus mockingbirds but softer and slower.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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