Order: PASSERIFORMES

Family: TURDIDAE

Its name Turdus means blackbird in Latin. The epithet leucomelas means black and white, derived from the Greek roots leukos = white and melas = black.

Description

It is around 24 cm in lenght. Above it is pale olive brown in contrast to the gray of its head and nape. It has finely fluted off-white headphones. Its throat is white streaked with dark brown. It has a pale buffy gray on its chest and sides. The center of the abdomen and infracaudales are white. The inner wing coverts are rufous-tan in color and their bill is yellowish brown.

Similar species

It is distinguished from the Mirla ollera and other brownish blackbirds by its contrast between the head and the back, and also by an olive tint that is well defined on the back. The beak of the White-winged Mirla is paler than that of the Ollera Mirla and the grooves on the throat are more contrasting.

Regional Differences

Two subspecies are recognized in Colombia: T. l cautor and T. l albiventer.

Distribution

It is distributed up to 1600m, in regions such as Santa Marta, Serrania de Macuira, Guajira, and Serranía de Perijá.

Habitat

It inhabits dry and open forests, in gallery forest, plantations and gardens (but usually near dense cover) and jungle edges in more humid regions. Rarely numerous but relatively common in foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta near Minca. It appears to have adapted very well to humans and is very common in human-populated areas of its range; it even nests often in gardens with shrubs and small trees.

Feeding

It feeds mainly on worms and arthropods. Like other thrushes, it forages for small invertebrates and also feeds on small fruits.

Reproduction

Build a cup-shaped nest with moss and rootlets in bushes. They lay 2 to 3 blue-green eggs dotted with reddish brown.

Behavior

It is a conspicuous bird in human-occupied areas. They can be solitary or in pairs, they jump on the ground in meadows and in general in open areas.

Taxonomy

It has a very small geographic variation, possibly of the Albiventer breed.

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Conservation status

His condition is of least concern.

curiosities

Also known as the Wise Thrush, Pale Chest Thrush, Missionary Sabiá, White-winged Blackbird and Cinnamon-winged Thrush.

Vocalization/ song

https://www.xeno-canto.org/541925