- Turdus serranus
Identification
23–25 cm (9-10 in)
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).
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.
Variations
Males of the subspecies cumanensis (with relatively small distribution) are duller than the remaining subspecies.
Similar Species
The male 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.
Distribution
South America: found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 5 subspecies[1]:
- T. s. cumanensis:
- North-eastern Venezuela (Anzoátegui, Sucre and Monagas)
- T. s. atrosericeus:
- T. s. fuscobrunneus:
- T. s. serranus:
- T. s. continoi:
- North-western Argentina (Salta and Jujuy)
Habitat
Montane forest, almost exclusively humid.
Behaviour
Arboreal and often rather secretive.
Diet
They mostly eat fruit and berries.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- BF member personal observation
- Birdforum thread discussing id of this species
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Glossy-black Thrush. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Glossy-black_Thrush
