Blacksmith Thrush

Overview

The blacksmith thrush, or eastern slaty thrush (Turdus subalaris), is a passerine bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Size: 20 to 22.5 cm long, weighing 46 to 55 g.
• Plumage: Males have a mostly gray head with an orange-yellow to brown eye-ring and a black-streaked white throat; upperparts, wings, and tail are gray, while the breast is lighter gray and the belly is white. Females are similar but possess a yellowish green to olive brown eye-ring and paler upperparts.
• Juveniles: Olive-brown upperparts with orange-brown spots, a palish orange-yellow throat and breast with blackish feather edges, and a white belly with blackish bars.
• Song: A short series of 2-6 descending, weak, squeaky notes given at 5- to 6-second intervals, resembling "twee sri-sri-sri" or "tur-rit-twee-twee-twee".

Habitat

The blacksmith thrush inhabits forests, especially Araucaria groves, tall woodlands, gallery forest, and parks or gardens with tall trees. Its range extends from southeastern Mato Grosso, northern Goiás, and southwestern Bahia in Brazil, through eastern Paraguay, and into northeastern Argentina's Misiones Province and Uruguay. It is found from near sea level to 1,600 m, though in Brazil it is mostly below 1,000 m.

Diet

It feeds mostly on fruit but also includes insects and other invertebrates in its diet. Foraging occurs mostly between the forest's lower and mid-levels, though it regularly feeds on the ground and in meadows near the forest edge. It has also been recorded at bird feeders.

Did you know?

The blacksmith thrush is migratory, although it is not known whether this is full or partial migration. It breeds in southern Brazil and vacates that area during the austral winter to spend time further north.