African thrush

Turdus pelios

Photo by Steve Garvie (Wikipedia)

Common name:
African thrush (en); tordo-africano (pt); merle africain (fr); zorzal africano (es); Kapdrossel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Turdidae

Range:
This species is found in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Sudan and south to Angola, Zambia and western Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 20-23 cm long and weigh 45-70 g.

Habitat:
The African thrush is found in well wooded areas, including dry tropical forests, moist tropial forests, dry savannas and moist scrublands. That are also found in agricultural areas, plantations and pastures, from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They are omnivorous, eating insects, earthworms, millipedes, snails, spiders, fruits, berries and seeds.

Breeding:
African thrushes can breed all year round. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a cup-shaped structure made of grasses, herbs, weeds, roots and earth laid out in a clockwise manner, and lined with fine plant materials. The nest is placed on a thick tree branch, 6-8 m above the ground. The female lays 2-3 pale greenish-blue eggs with brown lavender markings, which she incubates alone for about 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status -LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be frequent to common. The population trend is difficult to determine because of uncertainty over the impacts of habitat modification on population sizes.