- Turdus smithi
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.
Similar Species
Kurrichane Thrush brighter orange eye-ring and bill; distinct black malar stripes; white centre of belly, paler upper-parts.
Distribution
From southern Namibia to southeast Botswana and South Africa (southwest Transvaal and northern Cape Province).
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Formerly considered conspecific with Olive Thrush, Usambara Thrush, Taita Thrush, Somali Thrush and Abyssinian Thrush.
Habitat
Forest, well-wooded areas, alien growth, parks and gardens.
Behaviour
Diet
Its diet consists of insects, molluscs, and spiders.
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.
Vocalisation
Song short sweet phrases, without trilled quality of Kurrichane Thrush.
References
- 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
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Karoo Thrush. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Karoo_Thrush
