Difficult thrush? Costa Rica (1 Viewer)

[Coati]

Caribbean Lowlands

Poor image but need for list

Swainsons?

Ta
Rich

 

[birdboybowley]

White-throated Thrush (or Robin as they're still wrongly referred to)

 

[Coati]

Hmm, listed in Caribbean Lowlands, uncommon on Caribbean slope?

thanks for suggestion, it may be that sorry pic is not good

 

[Motmot]

I guess the conspicuous eyering of a White-throated Thrush should be discernible in this image. I wonder if it's just a Clay-coloured Thrush like the one below:
http://www.birdfinders.co.uk/images/clay-colored-robin.jpg
Any more pics?

 

[colonelboris]

I saw the title and thought "canesten"...

 

[Coati]

No more pics Motmot - sorry.
I'm just going through the tail end of trip pics in the vain hope of adding more to the list

Canesten , very funny!

Rich

 

[birdboybowley]

I guess the conspicuous eyering of a White-throated Thrush should be discernible in this image. I wonder if it's just a Clay-coloured Thrush like the one below:
http://www.birdfinders.co.uk/images/clay-colored-robin.jpg
Any more pics?

Could well be M...uppers just looked a little cold in colour and I did wonder about the eyering...

 

[Microtus]

Whichever species it is, it's definitely not a Swainson's Thrush.

 

[tomjenner]

My gut feeling was White-throated Thrush, based on the upperpart colouration and heavy throat streaking (Cley-coloured Thrush would be paler and warmer above and have slightly thinner streaks). However, individuals do vary and could well be a Cley-coloured. White-throated Thrush can be seen down to nearly sea level. I would expect White-throated Thrush in forest, while Cley-coloured would be in more open country (with some overlap in the middle).

Tom

 

[birdboybowley]

Rich, where did you take this photo?

 

[screaming piha]

could well be a Cley-coloured. Tom

Isn't that one a Norfolk endemic?

 

[Coati]

Hi
Birdboy -sorry for delay

pic was taken near Puerto Viejo, so Caribbean lowland in secondary forest/farm environment. October time
looks too chunky for a Clay colored - I wish it had turned round lol
Rich

 

[Motmot]

Hi
Birdboy -sorry for delay

pic was taken near Puerto Viejo, so Caribbean lowland in secondary forest/farm environment. October time
looks too chunky for a Clay colored - I wish it had turned round lol
Rich

Not saying it can't be a W-t Thrush but that would be a (very) rare bird on location. I lived there for 6 months and also have birded the whole south caribbean area many times and never found this species. C-c Thrush would be much more likely.

Edit: you mean Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí (NE caribbean lowlands) or P.Viejo de Talamanca (SE caribbean lowlands/coast)? A classical crican question...

 

[Coati]

That would be de Talamanca; CR is amusing sometimes as loads of places have the same names as I'm sure you know.Where did you live btw?

Rich

 

[jaco]

looks too chunky for a Clay colored

Not to sound rude, but I find it weird that you're ruling out Clay-colored based on chunkiness, yet originally considered Swainson's Thrush to be an option.

My vote is for Clay-colored, for what it's worth.

 

[Coati]

Not to sound rude, but I find it weird that you're ruling out Clay-colored based on chunkiness, yet originally considered Swainson's Thrush to be an option.

My vote is for Clay-colored, for what it's worth.

Swainsons was a poor idea
I don't know what possessed me lol
As a beginner I must learn to take ALL factors into consideration when making ID.s

Rich

 

[tomjenner]

It could well be a Clay-coloured Thrush. Looking through my photos I see that they tend to be much paler brown than this bird, but it could be affected by shade. In any case, there is a lot of variation. I have attached a picture (second photo) of one that is at the duller end of the spectrum and similar to the Costa Rican bird. I was also looking at the throat markings and many Clay-coloured Thrushes have streaking that is similar to the Costa Rican bird.
Nearly all the White-throated Thrush photos in my collection show a very clear yellow orbital, but the one attached (first photo, taken in January, so not a juv) does not seem to show it (assuming I did not make a mistake in the identification of this bird, which I am starting to think is a real possibility). The eye of the Costa Rican bird is a bit covered over, but clearly does not show the distinctive eye ring seen on most White-throated thrushes (see third photo).
I'm coming round to Clay-coloured, but still not 100% sure.

Tom

All photos taken in El Salvador - 1 by John Jackson, 2 by me, and 3 by Leti Andino

 

[screaming piha]

Hi Tom

You did make a mistake with that first thrush: it is a Rufous-collared (Turdus rufitorques). It was on the volcano (Santa Ana?) near San Salvador.

John

 

[Coati]

Fascinating; I am learning a lot.

I daren't even try Warblers!

Pic 3 is amazing!

Rich

 

[tomjenner]

Hi Tom

You did make a mistake with that first thrush: it is a Rufous-collared (Turdus rufitorques). It was on the volcano (Santa Ana?) near San Salvador.

John

You are absolutely correct. Here is a second shot of the same bird showing the white streaking to the undertail coverts, which Howell and Webb describes as distinctive. I haven't looked at one of these all dark immatures before and I guess I may well have been missing them in the past. As you guessed, the photo was taken at Cerro Verde, which is beside Santa Ana.
With that one cleared up I am also now pretty convinced that my guess of White-throated Thrush for the Costa Rican bird was also in error. It seems that it must have been a Clay-coloured Thrush.
For the record, Rufous-collared Thrush is not found much further south than El Salvador and certainly has never been seen near Costa Rica.

Tom