Chiguanco Thrush

Overview

The Chiguanco thrush (Turdus chiguanco) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae found from Ecuador south to Argentina. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a stable population that is considered familiar and conspicuous in parts of its range.

Identification

• Adults of the nominate subspecies have plain olive gray-brown upperparts and paler underparts, with a red to chestnut iris, and yellow bill and legs.
• Subspecies T. c. anthracinus males are almost entirely sooty black with a yellow eye-ring, while females are dark brown with paler appendages.
• The bird ranges from 25 to 30 cm in length and weighs between 75 and 120 g.
• Song varies by region, described as simple melodic phrases or rich caroling series, often sung at dawn and dusk.

Habitat

This species inhabits a variety of dry, somewhat open landscapes, including agricultural areas with scattered trees, gardens, scrubby deciduous woodland, thickets, montane scrublands, and Polylepis woodlands. It is frequently found along watercourses or in irrigated areas, ranging in elevation from near sea level in Peru up to 4,300 m on the eastern Andean slope.

Diet

The Chiguanco thrush feeds on insects, spiders, earthworms, and fruit. It usually forages on the ground, typically found alone or in pairs.

Did you know?

The taxonomic status of T. c. anthracinus is unsettled, with BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World treating it as a separate species, the "sombre thrush", though other authorities include it within the Chiguanco thrush.