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Glossy-black Thrush, Ecuador (1 Viewer)

George Edwards

George Edwards

Nom de plume
Is this likely to be a female Glossy-black Thrush? It was taken at San Isidro, March, in a hedgerow. The only possibilities there are:

Pale-eyed Thrush - common resident.
Great Thrush - very common resident.
Glossy-black Thrush - common resident.
Chestnut-bellied Thrush - uncommon to fairly common resident.
Black-billed Thrush - uncommon visitor.

The (young) guide was not sure because it doesn't have the yellow eye-ring a female Glossy-black Thrush should have (eg http://www.pbase.com/ahlman/image/128116006/original), and yet to him didn't look like a Great Thrush either (http://birdway.com.au/turdidae/great_thrush/source/great_thrush_25043.htm).
 

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Yup I think the lack of yellow eye-ring rules it out as adult female Glossy-black. That leaves Great Thrush female - but the bird seemed too small and the bill too slight and not orange - but maybe a juvenile? Or Glossy-black juvenile which perhaps doesn't have the yellow eye-ring.

Re Pale-eyed - no unfortunately didn't see one. That was just the "official list" for the lodge!
 
Well, I'm obviously not in much of a position to offer advice, but as I understood it, for just the part of Ecuador I visited …

[First birds of either description I saw was when we climbed to Bellavista (I think Glossy) from Mindo; then, higher, on the road up to Yanacocha saw what was def a Great Thrush, not agitated like Glossy and much bigger and duller/browner, just standing on a post; then over at Papallacta more Great Thrush, quite common, same slow behaviour; then lower down at San Isidro the above individual, which was probably also Great, but they do have Glossy there]

… the Glossy was identifiable because it was really deep black (like our adult male european blackbird) and possibly a bit glossy, while Great were a bit brownish black, even the males, and not at all glossy, and tended to just hang around not doing much. Also Great much much bigger than Glossy. The presumed Glossy I saw at Bellavista (at the lodge) was very busy jumping around in a tree.

So based on my very limited experience I would have called that bird in Opus Glossy, but I have no idea for Peru.
Here are my Great Thrush pics. And here's what I consider was a Glossy-black Thrush; and the guide I was with later agreed when he saw the pic.
 
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George,
I would love to have your picture of Glossy-black in the gallery and opus, it does have that bit of shine that makes in unequivocal.

The problem with great thrush is that it becomes "almost black in SE Peru." (from our Opus page).

Niels

Niels
 
I can only say that if Birds of Peru and Birds of South America Passerines are accurate the opus photo is not a Glossy-black Thrush. It is a male ockendeni Great Thrush, the blackest race of the species.

If you look closely at George´s photo in first post I think it has a yellow eyering. It´s not distinct because it is narrow and not in contrast with the rich brown plumage. See attached zoom
 

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The opus photo is from Abra Malaga and in the gallery photographer say 4100 metre altitude. This birds list to Abra Malaga has 3 thrushes, Chiguanco Thrush, Great Thrush and Andean Slaty-Thrush. Not Glossy-black Thrush. Birds of Peru say Glossy-black Thrush only up to 3450 metre altitude. Place, altitude and color support Great Thrush
 
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only comment re: the thrush in opus is that "abra malaga" as a birding site refers both to the pass itself and also possibly to sites on the road over the pass on both the west slope and east slope. I'd be surprised if glossy-black thrush doesn't occur on the road descending from the pass, regardless of what it says in that checklist, and the altitude given by the photogrpaher could be mistaken.

on the other hand the bird in opus may well be a great thrush but i'm not really qualified to comment!
James
 
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