Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Turdidae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

great_thrush
Age: Adult | Sex: Male|Female | Loc. Junin|Cajamarca

great_thrush
Age: Adult | Sex: Male|Female | Loc. Upper Manu Road

great_thrush
Age: Adult | Sex: Males | Loc. Amazonas, Peru

great_thrush
Age: Adult | Sex: Males and Females | Loc. Various locations


Identification & Behavior: ~32 cm (12.5 in). The Great Thrush can be black (ockendeni) or slaty gray (gigantoides) with orange bill and legs. Only the male has orange orbital skin. The female of the sub-species ockendeni is lighter than the male but darker than both male and female gigantoides. It forages on the ground and humid scrub at the edge or in semi-open humid montane forest and scrub. It is similar to the Chiguanco Thrush but is distinguished by larger size, by an orange orbital skin on the male, and by favoring humid habitats.

Status: The Great Thrush is common at the edges of humid montane forests of the east slope of the Andes and at elevations ranging between 2400-4200 m. It also occurs on the west slope of the Andes from Piura to Lima. The Great Thrush also occurs in Co, Ec, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Zorzal Grande.

Sub-species: Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater gigantodes), Cabanis, 1873. S Ecuador S to C Peru.
(Turdus fuscater ockendeni), Hellmayr, 1906.  SE Peru.

Meaning of Name: Turdus: L. turdus= thrush. fuscater: L. fuscus= dark and ater= black. fuscater. Between dark and black, blackish or dark gray.

See more of the Family Turdidae  peru aves

Distribution Map
great_thrushVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 03/01/2016.