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Photo by Fanie Jordaan

Turdus smithi

[edit] Identification

Length 24 cm.
Upper-parts and upper chest dark grey-brown; throat greyish streaked black; remainder of under-parts grey-brown, belly orange; vent whitish; bill and legs yellow; dark eye-ring.

[edit] Similar Species

Kurrichane Thrush brighter orange eye-ring and bill; distinct black malar stripes; white centre of belly, paler upper-parts.

[edit] Distribution

From southern Namibia to southeast Botswana and South Africa (southwest Transvaal and northern Cape Province).

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.
Formerly considered conspecific with Olive Thrush, Usambara Thrush, Taita Thrush, Somali Thrush and Abyssinian Thrush.

[edit] Habitat

Forest, well-wooded areas, alien growth, parks and gardens.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

Its diet consists of insects, molluscs, and spiders.

[edit] Breeding

It builds a cup nest, typically up to 6 m above the ground in a tree. The 2-3 blue eggs are incubated mainly by the female for 14-15 days. The chicks fledge in another 16 days.

[edit] Vocalisation

Song short sweet phrases, without trilled quality of Kurrichane Thrush.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links