Yellow-legged Thrush

Overview

The yellow-legged thrush (Turdus flavipes) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found across parts of South America, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

Identification

• Males have a black head, wings, tail, and breast with a slate-gray back, belly, and flanks, while females are mostly warm darkish brown with paler orangey underparts. Both sexes possess a distinctive yellow eye-ring, legs, and feet.
• Adults measure 20 to 22 cm in length and weigh between 55 to 72 g.
• The song consists of a short series of notes delivered with sharp, high overtones, described as loud, energetic, and often squeaky, with frequent mimicry of other species.

Habitat

The species inhabits the interior, edges, and clearings of humid primary and secondary forest, woodlands, and shade coffee plantations. Its distribution is highly disjunct across mountains and coastal ranges in Venezuela, parts of northern South America, and southeastern Brazil.

Diet

The yellow-legged thrush feeds mostly on fruit and includes insects in its diet. It forages at all levels of the forest but seldom on the ground, sometimes joining small groups in fruiting trees.

Did you know?

While typically building shallow cup nests in niches within earthen banks or rock faces, one was found inside a bromeliad. The species is also noted for frequently mimicking the songs of other birds.