Thrushes (Turdidae)
Olive Thrush (Turdus olivaceus) - HBW 10, p. 657
French: Merle olivâtre
German: Kapdrossel
Spanish: Zorzal Oliváceo
Other common names: Northern Olive Thrush (N races); Abyssinian Thrush (abyssinicus); Karoo Thrush (smithi), Oldean’s Thrush (oldeani); Roehl’s Thrush (roehli); Swynnerton’s Thrush (swynnertoni)
Taxonomy: Turdus olivaceus Linnaeus, 1766, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Taxonomy complex and not fully understood. Commonly considered conspecific with T. helleri and T. ludoviciae; also, most races of T. pelios have in the past been included within present species. Hybridization with T. libonyanus claimed in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Recent morphological and molecular analyses suggest that race smithi possibly a separate species, but further evaluation required in view of lack of clarity over plumage characters and nature and extent of a hybrid zone with parapatric nominate race. N assemblage of races, centred on abyssinicu.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Turdus olivaceus Linnaeus, 1766, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Taxonomy complex and not fully understood. Commonly considered conspecific with T. helleri and T. ludoviciae; also, most races of T. pelios have in the past been included within present species. Hybridization with T. libonyanus claimed in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Recent morphological and molecular analyses suggest that race smithi possibly a separate species, but further evaluation required in view of lack of clarity over plumage characters and nature and extent of a hybrid zone with parapatric nominate race. N assemblage of races, centred on abyssinicus, may also warrant treatment as a distinct species, but further study needed. Proposed race mwaki (described from W Turkana, in Kenya), which implicitly also includes porini (replacement for fuscatus, described from N Nandi Forest, in Kenya), considered indistinguishable from abyssinicus. Fourteen subspecies recognized.
Taxonomy complex and not fully understood. Commonly considered conspecific with T. helleri and T. ludoviciae; also, most races of T. pelios have in the past been included within present species. Hybridization with T. libonyanus claimed in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Recent morphological and molecular analyses suggest that race smithi possibly a separate species, but further evaluation required in view of lack of clarity over plumage characters and nature and extent of a hybrid zone with parapatric nominate race. N assemblage of races, centred on abyssinicus, may also warrant treatment as a distinct species, but further study needed. Proposed race mwaki (described from W Turkana, in Kenya), which implicitly also includes porini (replacement for fuscatus, described from N Nandi Forest, in Kenya), considered indistinguishable from abyssinicus. Fourteen subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- abyssinicus J. F. Gmelin, 1789 - Eritrea and Ethiopia S to Sudan, N Uganda, N, W & C Kenya and N Tanzania (S to Loliondo).
- deckeni Cabanis, 1868 - N Tanzania (Kilimanjaro S to Monduli).
- oldeani P. L. Sclater & Moreau, 1935 - Mbulu and Crater Highlands, in N Tanzania.
- abyssinicus J. F. Gmelin, 1789 - Eritrea and Ethiopia S to Sudan, N Uganda, N, W & C Kenya and N Tanzania (S to Loliondo).
- deckeni Cabanis, 1868 - N Tanzania (Kilimanjaro S to Monduli).
- oldeani P. L. Sclater & Moreau, 1935 - Mbulu and Crater Highlands, in N Tanzania.
- baraka (Sharpe, 1903) - E DRCongo (Virunga Park) and W Uganda (Ruwenzori Mts).
- bambusicola Neumann, 1908 - E DRCongo, Burundi, Rwanda, SW Uganda and NW Tanzania.
- roehli Reichenow, 1905 - NE Tanzania.
- nyikae Reichenow, 1904 - E & S Tanzania, N Malawi and NE Zambia.
- milanjensis Shelley, 1893 - S Malawi and NW Mozambique.
- swynnertoni Bannerman, 1913 - E Zimbabwe and W Mozambique.
- transvaalensis (Roberts, 1936) - NE South Africa and W Swaziland.
- smithi Bonaparte, 1850 - S Namibia, SE Botswana and N South Africa (Northern Cape E to Free State and SW former Transvaal).
- olivaceus Linnaeus, 1766 - SW South Africa (Western Cape).
- culminans Clancey, 1982 - E South Africa (W KwaZulu-Natal).
- pondoensis Reichenow, 1917 - SE South Africa (E KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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feeding on the ground, leaf tossing Locality Wondo Genet, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp abysinnicus)
Martin Kennewell 4 November 2010 2 years ago 26 sec 4.5 -
A bird ejecting two pellets of indigestible material. Locality Wondo Genet, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp abyssinicus)
Josep del Hoyo 1 December 2005 7 years ago 46 sec 4.5 -
An adult drinking from a pipe. Locality Mena Gesha Forest, Ethiopia (ssp abyssinicus)
Josep del Hoyo 23 November 2005 7 years ago 39 sec 4.5 -
A bird eating prey found by tossing leaves. Locality Lake Langano, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp abyssinicus)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2005 7 years ago 30 sec 4.4 -
close up front view on ground Locality Wondo Genet, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp abysinnicus)
Martin Kennewell 4 November 2010 2 years ago 14 sec 4 -
A bird tossing leaves to find food. Locality Lake Langano, Oromia Region, Ethiopia (ssp abyssinicus)
Josep del Hoyo 30 November 2005 7 years ago 33 sec 4
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Bird perched
Locality Wilderness, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Chris and Megan Perkins 17 March 2009 4 years ago 4.2 -
A bird on the ground.
Locality Nairobi, Kenya
Ken Havard 5 February 2006 2 years ago 4.2 -
A bird foraging on the ground
Locality Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 29 March 2011 1 year ago 3.8 -
A bird perched on a branch
Locality Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ssp abyssinicus )
Stefan Helming 30 January 2009 4 years ago 3.8 -
Karoo Thrush according Clements list
Locality Karoo National Park, Western Cape Province, South Africa
Guy Poisson 16 November 2012 26 weeks ago 3.8 -
A bird perched on a tree.
Locality Tsitsikamma National Park, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa (ssp pondoensis)
Carmelo López 18 November 2010 2 years ago 3.7
- No sound recordings available yet
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