Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

Drab, uniformly brown thrush with slightly warmer belly. Dull yellowish bill and very faint streaks on throat. Very common and widespread throughout Central America; limited U.S. range. Found in a variety of shrubby wooded habitats, towns, and parks. Unique color and blandness makes this rarity unlikely to be confused with other species. Tends to stay on the ground or in low vegetation, either singly or in pairs. Song is a varied series of phrases similar to a mockingbird.

识别特征

In general appearance and habits it resembles other Turdus thrushes such as the American robin. It is about the same length or slightly smaller: 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in), and weighs 74–76 g (2.6–2.7 oz) on average. The plumage is brownish, somewhat lighter below than above, lightest on the flanks. Birds from humid regions are darker than those from dry regions. The throat is faintly streaked. Immature birds have faint mottling on the back and underparts. The bill is greenish-yellow with a dark base, the legs are pinkish or flesh-colored, and the irises are reddish—all useful identification points.<p>The song, rather low-pitched and with a slow steady tempo, consists of many slurred musical phrases which are often repeated irregularly. The tock flight call is like the American robin's but harsher. T. grayi's dry season mating call is quite region-specific, with noticeable differences in calls just a few hundred miles apart.<p>The clay-colored thrush usually forages for fruit or invertebrates on the ground or near it, singly or in pairs, but flocks may feed high in fruiting trees. It will follow army ants to feed on small prey disturbed by the ant columns.<p>It builds a heavy cup nest of grass, moss, feathers, leaves and mud on a firm support above the ground, which may include human constructions such as windowsills. It lays 2 to 4 pale blue eggs with red-brown and gray markings between March and July and may double-brood. It is aggressive in defense of its nest, having been known to mob raptors as large as golden eagles, but is not otherwise particularly territorial. Aggressive defense against brood parasites may explain why it has not evolved complete recognition of brood parasite eggs; it is one of only very few species of birds that are partial ejectors, with only about 25% of individuals ejecting parasitic eggs of the bronzed cowbird.

分类信息

学名
Turdus grayi
命名信息
Bonaparte, 1838
Passeriformes
Turdidae
Turdus

分布与栖息地

It ranges from South Texas (where it is rapidly expanding its range) to northern Colombia. West and north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it is limited to the Atlantic slope, except for a population around Oaxaca City, Mexico that probably originates from escaped cage birds. In much of its range it is familiar in yards and gardens, similar to some other thrushes such as the American robin, the Eurasian blackbird, and the song thrush.

迁徙
Resident species

保护状况

种群趋势
stable

照片

分布

鸟叫声

其他鸟类

Barbados Bullfinch

Barbados Bullfinch

Loxigilla barbadensis

A tame and conspicuous species of gardens, scrubland, and open woodlands. Its plumage is a combination of subtle browns and grays, and its bill is stubby and thick. This species could be mistaken for a female Black-faced Grassquit, but the grassquit has an olive back and is smaller overall. Song is a rapid “tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee…” or “tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit…” often consisting of five to fifteen notes. Calls include a sharp “tseet.”

Variable Sunbird

Variable Sunbird

Cinnyris venustus

Medium-sized sunbird with strikingly different breeding male and female plumages. Breeding males are green on the head and back, with a purple band across the breast. There is much regional variation; the belly can be yellow-orange, yellow, or white, though it is yellow across most of the range. Some subspecies also show extensive purple onto the throat. Females and non-breeding males are plain olive-brown on the back and dull yellow below. Found in a broad range of habitats, from arid thornscrub to moist savanna, gardens, and forest edge. Vocalizations typical of a sunbird, and include a quick jumbled song. Similar to Collared Sunbird, but larger, with a longer and more curved bill.

Rusty-fronted Barwing

Rusty-fronted Barwing

Actinodura egertoni

Set apart from other barwings in its range by its pure white belly and an orangish wash over the front of the face. Like other barwings, it forages in pairs and small flocks, sometimes with other species. Gives a range of different calls, with its most distinctive one being a three-note whistle in which the third note is considerably lower than the first two.

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