Eastern Slaty Thrush
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Slaty Thrush (Turdus subalaris) is a passerine
bird
belonging to the genus Turdus in the thrush
family, Turdidae. It is native to eastern South America
. It is often considered to be a subspecies
of the Andean Slaty Thrush
(T. nigriceps).
It is 21 centimetres long. The male has dark greyish upperparts, a grey breast and white belly. The head is black apart from the throat which is white with dark streaks. The bill
is mostly yellow. The female is mostly dull brown with few markings unlike the female of the Andean Slaty Thrush which has a browner version of the male's pattern. The song
is high-pitched and has an unusual metallic, scraping quality.
It inhabits forest
, woodland
and parks. Its breeding range covers north-east Argentina
, eastern Paraguay
and southern Brazil
. Some birds migrate north in winter as far as central Brazil.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
belonging to the genus Turdus in the thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family, Turdidae. It is native to eastern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is often considered to be a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Andean Slaty Thrush
Andean Slaty Thrush
The Andean Slaty Thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is found in north-west Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. The subspecies found in north-east Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil is often considered to be a separate species, the Eastern Slaty Thrush The Andean Slaty Thrush...
(T. nigriceps).
It is 21 centimetres long. The male has dark greyish upperparts, a grey breast and white belly. The head is black apart from the throat which is white with dark streaks. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
is mostly yellow. The female is mostly dull brown with few markings unlike the female of the Andean Slaty Thrush which has a browner version of the male's pattern. The song
Bird song
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs are distinguished by function from calls.-Definition:The distinction between songs and calls is based upon...
is high-pitched and has an unusual metallic, scraping quality.
It inhabits forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
and parks. Its breeding range covers north-east Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, eastern Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
and southern Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Some birds migrate north in winter as far as central Brazil.