Cape thrush
| Cape thrush | ||||||||||||
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Cape Thrush ( Turdus olivaceus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Turdus olivaceus | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1766 |
The Cape Thrush ( Turdus olivaceus ) is a songbird from the thrush family (Turdidae). It is one of the most widespread thrush species in Africa .
description
The cape thrush reaches a maximum length of 24 centimeters and a weight of up to 81 grams. The tail and the top are dull olive brown in color. The belly is white and the rest of the underside has an orange tint. The throat is speckled with white.
Subspecies
There are at least five geographic subspecies , which differ mainly in the intensity of the white, orange and brown coloring of the underside. These are: T. o swynnertoni. , T. o transvaalensis. , T. o olivaceus. , T. o pondonensis. And T. o culminans. . Four subspecies originally assigned to the Cape thrush - the Karoo thrush ( Turdus smithi ), the Somali thrush ( Turdus ludoviciae ), the Gmelin thrush ( Turdus abyssinicus ) and the Taita thrush ( Turdus helleri ) - are now considered to be separate species. The Taita Thrush is critically endangered.
distribution and habitat
The Cape Thrush occurs discontinuously south of the Sahara from Sudan , Eritrea , Somalia , Ethiopia , Kenya , Tanzania , Mozambique , Republic of the Congo , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Uganda , Rwanda , Malawi , Lesotho , Zimbabwe , Botswana , South Africa and Namibia . It inhabits predominantly evergreen forests, but has also adapted to life in parks , large gardens and in urban outskirts. Here the Cape Thrush feeds on insects , fruits and spiders .
Reproduction
The Cape Thrush builds a bowl-shaped nest , usually in a tree up to six meters above the ground. The female lays two to three blue eggs . The breeding period is 14 to 15 days, the young are fledged after 16 days. The singing of the male consists of a mixture of fluting, whistling and trilling stanzas that vary geographically. Occasionally it mimics other birds as well.
literature
- Clement & Hathaway: Thrushes. ISBN 0-7136-3940-7
- Sinclair, Hockey & Tarboton: SASOL Birds of Southern Africa. ISBN 1-86872-721-1
Web links
- Turdus olivaceus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 30 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Turdus olivaceus in the Internet Bird Collection
- The Cape Thrush at www.answers.com (English)