Plumbeous-backed Thrush

Overview

The plumbeous-backed thrush (Turdus reevei) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae found in Ecuador and Peru. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Length of 23 to 24 cm with a weight of 61 to 66 g.
• Bluish slate-gray upperparts, wings, and tail, with a bluish slate-gray head that is slightly browner in females.
• White to bluish white iris, pale yellow bill, and pale yellow legs and feet.
• Song consists of a fairly fast, typical Turdus caroling during the breeding season, with calls including an abrupt, descending 'pseeeu'.

Habitat

Found in central Manabí and northern Los Rios provinces in western Ecuador and southern Peru, it inhabits the interior, edges, and clearings of deciduous forest, humid evergreen forest, woodlands, and scrublands. In Peru, it apparently favours areas along rivers, occurring up to 1,500 m, while in Ecuador it is mostly found below 1,600 m.

Diet

The diet includes fruits, and the bird forages mostly in trees, often gathering in single-species flocks in fruiting ones or joining mixed-species feeding flocks. No further details on feeding habits are known.

Did you know?

Its cup nests are shallow with thick walls, constructed from sticks, vines, and leaves held together with dung from domestic animals.