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Turdus lherminieri

Cichlherminia lherminieri

[edit] Identification

This bird has upperparts that are brown to grayish-brown, while the underparts are strikingly scaled in appearance, white bordered by brown. On some islands, the rear part of the belly is all white. Bill is yellow, and the same is the large eye-ring consisting of bare skin.

[edit] Similar Species

Forest thrush is similar to Spectacled Thrush (Turdus nudigenis -formerly called Bare-eyed Robin) in that both have yellow around the eye, but the Spectacled Thrush is missing the scaling on the underside. Sounds are also somewhat similar, possibly explaining why the Spectacled Thrush is aggressive towards Forest Thrush and other similar birds.

[edit] Distribution

Forest thrush is a species endemic to the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies, only found on the islands of Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica, and St. Lucia.

[edit] Taxonomy

Each island has its own subspecies: lherminieri in Guadeloupe, lawrencii in Montserrat, dominicensis in Dominica, and sanctaeluciae in St. Lucia.
Has been placed in the genus Cichlherminia in the past.

[edit] Habitat

Prefers older and wetter forest and is for that reason often found somewhat above sea level.

[edit] Behaviour

In many ways a fairly typical thrush.

[edit] Conservation concerns

Forest Thrush has been almost extirpated from St Lucia, probably from a combination of competition with American Bare-eyed Thrush, habitat change including planting of exotic forest trees, brood parasitism by Shiny Cowbird, and hunting. Similar threats exist in the rest of its range, but so far it is doing OK in Dominica, while the influence from the volcanic events on Montserrat is a unique treat to that population.

[edit] External Links