From Opus

Photo by George Edwards
Ecuador

Turdus serranus

[edit] Identification

The male is deep glossy black with distinct orange legs, bill and yellow-orange eye-ring (eye-ring color is more variable than some books give impression of), and resembles several other black thrushes in South America, especially Great, Chiguanco and Pale-eyed Thrush. The last easily separated by its pale eyes. First two can be harder, but neither is as deep glossy black as the Glossy-black Thrush. Males of the subspecies cumanensis (with relatively small distribution) are duller than the remaining subspecies. Identification of the dark brownish female can be more difficult, but the plain/faintly streaked throat and the narrow indistinct yellowish eye-ring are often useful.

[edit] Distribution

South America: Found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina

[edit] Taxonomy

• T. s. cumanensis:

• North-eastern Venezuela (Anzoátegui, Sucre and Monagas)

• T. s. atrosericeus:

• North-eastern Colombia (Páramo de Tamá) to Andes of northern Venezuela

• T. s. fuscobrunneus:

• Mountains of central and southern Colombia to Ecuador

• T. s. serranus:

• Mountains of Peru, Bolivia and north-western Argentina (Salta and Jujuy)

[edit] Habitat

Montane forest, almost exclusively humid.

[edit] Behaviour

Arboreal and often rather secretive.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. BF member personal observation
3. Birdforum thread discussing id of this species

• List of references

[edit] External Links