Thrushes (Turdidae)
African Thrush (Turdus pelios) - HBW 10, p. 657
French: Merle africain
German: Afrikadrossel
Spanish: Zorzal Africano
Other common names: West African Thrush (W races); Cameroon Mountain Thrush (nigrilorum); Fernando Po Thrush (poensis)
Taxonomy: Turdus pelios Bonaparte, 1850, Fazughli, Sudan.
Taxonomy complex and not fully understood. Has been thought to form a superspecies with T. tephronotus and T. libonyanus. Races chinguancoides, nigrilorum, poensis and centralis have in the past been treated as races of T. olivaceus, and the first two along with saturatus have sometimes been placed with T. libonyanus; bocagei, graueri and stormsi have also been placed with T. olivaceus. Situation still not adequately resolved; further research required. Proposed race adamauae (N Cameroon) conside.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy complex and not fully understood. Has been thought to form a superspecies with T. tephronotus and T. libonyanus. Races chinguancoides, nigrilorum, poensis and centralis have in the past been treated as races of T. olivaceus, and the first two along with saturatus have sometimes been placed with T. libonyanus; bocagei, graueri and stormsi have also been placed with T. olivaceus. Situation still not adequately resolved; further research required. Proposed race adamauae (N Cameroon) considered indistinguishable from nominate, and williami (N Zambia) merged with stormsi. Nine subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- chiguancoides Seebohm, 1881 - Senegal E to N Ghana.
- saturatus (Cabanis, 1882) - W Ghana E to C Cameroon, W PRCongo and Gabon.
- nigrilorum Reichenow, 1892 - Mt Cameroon (Cameroon).
- chiguancoides Seebohm, 1881 - Senegal E to N Ghana.
- saturatus (Cabanis, 1882) - W Ghana E to C Cameroon, W PRCongo and Gabon.
- nigrilorum Reichenow, 1892 - Mt Cameroon (Cameroon).
- poensis Alexander, 1903 - Bioko (Fernando Póo).
- pelios Bonaparte, 1850 - E Cameroon E to Sudan, W Eritrea and W, C & E Ethiopia.
- centralis Reichenow, 1905 - E PRCongo and S Central African Republic E to S Ethiopia, W Kenya and NW Tanzania.
- bocagei (Cabanis, 1882) - W DRCongo and NW & W Angola.
- graueri Neumann, 1908 - E DRCongo, Burundi, Rwanda and W Tanzania.
- stormsi Hartlaub, 1886 - SE DRCongo, E Angola and N Zambia.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A bird arriving to drink at a birtbath, and then flying away Locality Travelers Rest Hotel, Kibale National Park, Uganda (ssp centralis)
Josep del Hoyo 12 September 2006 5 years ago 34 sec 4.7 -
one bird taking a bath Locality Abuko Nature Reserve, Abuko, Western Division, The Gambia (ssp chiguancoides)
Daniêl Jimenez 1 January 2012 1 year ago 41 sec 4.5 -
side view at puddle Locality Lake Langano (Wabe Shebelle) Hotel, Lake Langano, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp pelios)
Martin Kennewell 5 November 2010 2 years ago 15 sec 4.5 -
A bird in the open, next to dense undergrowth. Locality Abuko Nature Reserve, Abuko, Western Division, The Gambia (ssp chiguancoides)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 1 November 2008 4 years ago 27 sec 4.3 -
A bird on a wire, calling and singing Locality Kibale National Park, Uganda (ssp centralis)
Josep del Hoyo 1 September 2006 6 years ago 56 sec 4.1 -
rear view at puddle Locality Lake Langano (Wabe Shebelle) Hotel, Lake Langano, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp pelios)
Martin Kennewell 5 November 2010 2 years ago 12 sec 4
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A bird on the ground
Locality Lake Langano, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Piotr Jonczyk 21 November 2009 3 years ago 3.7 -
Adult
Locality River Gambia National Park, Central River Division, The Gambia (ssp Chiguancoides)
Patrick Floré 16 November 2010 2 years ago 3.6 -
A bird perching in a tree.
Locality Kisumu, Lake Victoria, Kenya (ssp centralis)
Thomas Holmberg 22 November 2011 33 weeks ago 3.5 -
a bird perched
Locality Lake Langano, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp centralis)
Stefan Helming 26 June 2009 3 years ago 3.5 -
A common bird
Locality Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
raniero massoli-novelli 1 September 1999 2 years ago 3.4 -
A bird on the ground
Locality Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Guy Poisson 20 February 2010 2 years ago 3.4
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A male singing from a wire. Locality Kibale National Park, Uganda
(ssp centralis)
Josep del Hoyo 1 September 2006 21 weeks ago 4
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