Lawrence's Thrush

Overview

Lawrence's thrush (Turdus lawrencii) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae found across the upper Amazon Basin. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is believed to be decreasing despite having an extremely large range.

Identification

• Length of 21.5 to 23 cm with a weight of approximately 73 g.
• Adult males feature an olive-brown head with a rufous tinge, a yellow eye-ring, and a white throat with dark streaks; females have paler breasts and a duller bill.
• Possesses a yellow bill, a dark iris, and pinkish-brown legs and feet.
• One of the most extraordinary avian vocal mimics on Earth, capable of imitating at least 170 other bird species along with frogs and insects.

Habitat

Inhabits humid forests, primarily terra firme and várzea, up to elevations of 1,200 m in Venezuela, 500 m in Colombia, 600 m in Ecuador, 700 m in Peru, and 800 m in Brazil. Its range covers southeastern Venezuela, parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern and central Brazil south of the Amazon River.

Diet

The diet is known to include fruit, though specific feeding studies are lacking. It forages mostly from the forest's mid-level to the canopy, occasionally on the ground, and may join mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

The species is renowned as one of the most extraordinary avian vocal mimics on Earth, with some individuals singing all day and one recorded bout containing the songs of 51 other species. Its nest is uniquely constructed as a cup of grass and mud wedged between a bromeliad and a tree trunk, often 10 to 20 m above the ground.