Ecuadorian Thrush

Taxobox
name = Ecuadorian Thrush
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Turdidae
genus = "Turdus"
species = "T. maculirostris"
binomial = "Turdus maculirostris"
binomial_authority = Berlepsch and Taczanowski 1883The Ecuadorian Thrush, "Turdus maculirostris", is a resident breeding bird in western South America from western Ecuador to northwestern Peru. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Bare-eyed Thrush (Yellow-eyed Thrush), "Turdus nudigenis", but has a narrower eyering, prefers denser forests, and is widely separated in range.

The habitat of this large thrush is forest, including forest edges and clearings, up to 2000 metres.

Description

The Ecuadorian Thrush is 21.5 - 23 cm long. It is plain olive-brown above (paler than Bare-eyed) and a paler brown below. The throat is brown-streaked off-white, and the lower belly is whitish. It has a narrow yellow eye ring. Sexes are similar, but young birds are flecked above and spotted below. There are no subspecies.

Behaviour

The nest is a lined bulky cup of twigs low in a tree. The only known clutch was of three reddish-blotched blue eggs. The Ecuadorian Thrush feeds in trees on fruit, berries and some insects and earthworms. It is a shy species, and may be largely crepuscular. It is normally alone or in pairs, but may congregate in fruiting trees, often with Plumbeous-backed Thrush.

References

* Clement and Hathaway "Thrushes" ISBN 0-7136-3940-7