Black Thrush

Overview

The black thrush (Turdus infuscatus) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae, previously known as the black robin. It is a monotypic species that was formerly treated as conspecific with the glossy-black thrush but is now recognised as a separate, distinct entity.

Identification

• Adult males are almost entirely black with a slightly duller, slaty belly and undertail coverts, distinguished by a bright yellow ring of bare skin around the eye, a bright yellow bill, and bright yellow legs and feet.
• Adult females possess an olive brown head with dusky brown streaks on the cheeks, a dark brown eye ring, and upperparts, tail, and wing upper surfaces that are olive brown; their chin and throat are whitish with dusky brown streaks, and underparts are paler olive brown.
• Juveniles have brown upperparts and brownish buff underparts marked with black or dusky spots, along with a mostly dark bill and dull yellow legs and feet.
• The species measures 22 to 23 cm in length and weighs between 60 and 90 g, with all ages exhibiting a dark brown iris.

Habitat

The black thrush occupies montane evergreen, pine-oak, semi-deciduous, and cloud forests within the subtropical and temperate zones, typically ranging in elevation from 900 to 3,100 m but most commonly found between 1,600 and 2,600 m. Its distribution is disjunct, covering eastern and western Mexico from Tamaulipas to Veracruz and from central Guerrero to Chiapas, as well as separate populations in west-central Guatemala, El Salvador, and the western half of Honduras. It has also recently been recorded in extreme northwestern Nicaragua, though it remains unclear whether this signifies a range extension or a previously overlooked population.

Diet

The black thrush feeds on insects and fruit, foraging mostly in the mid-to upper levels of the forest but occasionally ranging from the ground to the canopy. It generally forages alone or with its mate, though outside the breeding season it may gather at fruiting trees in flocks of up to about 20 individuals alongside other frugivorous species.

Did you know?

The black thrush is an accomplished singer with a rich vocal repertoire that includes mimicry of other cloud forest species, with its song compared to that of some mockingbirds. Males produce a long, varied series of well-spaced, sweet clear whistled phrases such as "chaao-sit!-peer!-tleeet-pip'pip-peeeer!-seeet!-weeeer!-peeer'peeer'peeer" that can last for several minutes.