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Turdidae

(Family)

Overview

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The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.

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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 21 g (0.74 oz) and 14.5 cm (5.7 in). However, the shortwings, which have ambiguous alliances with both thrushes and Old World flycatchers, can be even smaller. The Lesser Shortwing averages 12 cm (4.7 in). The largest thrush is Blue Whistling-thrush, at 178 g (6.3 oz) and 33 cm (13 in). The Great Thrush is similar in length but less heavily built.[1] Most species are grey or brown in color, often with speckled underparts.

They are insectivorous, but most species also eat worms, land snails, and fruit. Many species ar e permanently resident in warm climes, while others migrate to higher latitudes during summer, often over considerable distances.[2]

Thrushes build cup-shaped nests, sometimes lining them with mud. They lay two to five speckled eggs, sometimes laying two or more clutches per year. Both parents help in raising the young.[2]

The songs of some species, including members of the genera Catharus, Myadestes, and Turdus, are considered to be among the most beautiful in the avian world.[3][4]

Taxonomy

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The taxonomic treatment of this large family has varied significantly in recent years. Traditionally, the Turdidae included the small Old World species, like the Nightingale and European Robin in the subfamily Saxicolini, but most authorities now place this group in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.

This article follows the Handbook of the Birds of the World with edits from Clement and Hathaway, Thrushes (2000), and retains the large thrushes in Turdidae. Recent biochemical studies place certain traditional thrush genera (Monticola, Pseudocossyphus, Myiophonus, Brachypteryx, and Alethe) in the Muscicapidae. Conversely the Asian saxicoline genera Grandala and Cochoa belong here among the thrushes.

Genera

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FAMILY: TURDIDAE

Now usually considered a distinct family distantly related to Picathartes:

For other species previously in Turdidae, see Muscicapidae and chats.

anently resident in warm climes, while others migrate to higher latitudes during summer, often over considerable distances.[2]

Thrushes build cup-shaped nests, sometimes lining them with mud. They lay two to five speckled eggs, sometimes laying two or more clutches per year. Both parents help in raising the young.[2]

The songs of some species, including members of the genera Catharus, Myadestes, and Turdus, are considered to be among the most beautiful in the avian world.[3][4]

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

The taxonomic treatment of this large family has varied significantly in recent years. Traditionally, the Turdidae included the small Old World species, like the Nightingale and European Robin in the subfamily Saxicolini, but most authorities now place this group in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.

This article follows the Handbook of the Birds of the World with edits from Clement and Hathaway, Thrushes (2000), and retains the large thrushes in Turdidae. Recent biochemical studies place certain traditional thrush genera (Monticola, Pseudocossyphus, Myiophonus, Brachypteryx, and Alethe) in the Muscicapidae. Conversely the Asian saxicoline genera Grandala and Cochoa belong here among the thrushes.

Genera
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FAMILY: TURDIDAE

  • Genus Turdus: true thrushes (some 65 species, 1 recently extinct)
  • Genus Platycichla: (2 species) - part of a South American group within Turdus
  • Genus Nesocichla: Tristan Thrush or Starchy - part of a South American group within Turdus
  • Genus Cichlherminia: Forest Thrush - genus paraphyletic with Turdus
  • Genus Psophocichla: Groundscraper Thrush
  • Genus Zoothera: Asian thrushes (some 22 species, 1 recently extinct)
  • Genus Catharus: typical American thrushes and nightingale-thrushes (12 species)
  • Genus Hylocichla: Wood Thrush
  • Genus Ridgwayia: Aztec Thrush - related to Hylocichla
  • Genus Ixoreus: Varied Thrush - related to other New World genera
  • Genus Geomalia: Geomalia
  • Genus Cataponera: Sulawesi Thrush
  • Genus Sialia: bluebirds (3 species)
  • Genus Grandala: related to Sialia
  • Genus Cichlopsis: Rufous-brown Solitaire - related to Catharus
  • Genus Entomodestes: solitaires (2 species) - related to Catharus
  • Genus Myadestes: solitaires (10-11 living species, 2-3 recently extinct) (includes formerly recognized genus Phaeornis)
  • Genus Neocossyphus: flycatcher thrushes and "ant-thrushes" (4 species) - related to Myadestes
  • Genus Cochoa: cochoas (4 species)
  • Genus Chlamydochaera: Fruit-hunter - related to Cochoa
  • Genus Heteroxenicus: Gould's Shortwing

Now usually considered a distinct family distantly related to Picathartes:

  • Genus Chaetops: rock-jumpers (2 species)

For other species previously in Turdidae, see Muscicapidae and chats.

References

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  1. ^ Thrushes by Peter Clement. Princeton University Press (2001), ISBN 978-0-691-08852-5.
  2. ^ a b Perrins, C. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph. ed. Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 186?187. ISBN 1-85391-186-0. 
  3. ^ http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/woodland/msg051859363475.html
  4. ^ http://rogcad.com/hermitthrush/index.htm

External links

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Taxonomy

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The Family Turdidae is a member of the Superfamily Muscicapoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Turdidae:

The Family Turdidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Alethe

The Alethes are small mainly insectivorous birds in the genus Alethe of the Old World flycatcher and chat family Muscicapidae. The genus is one of many chats moved from the thrush family to the flycatchers. [more]

Brachypteryx

The shortwings are colorful medium-sized mostly insectivorous in the genera Brachypteryx of the thrush family Turdidae. In addition to these another species, the Great Shortwing, Heinrichia calligyna, is known as a shortwing. [more]

Cataponera

The Sulawesi Thrush (Cataponera turdoides) is a species of bird, monotypic within the genus Cataponera,[] in the Turdidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it inhabits subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. [more]

Catharus

Catharus is a genus of birds in the thrush family Turdidae. It contains the small, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous migrant thrushes of North America and the nightingale-thrushes of Central and South America. Its closest relative is the Wood Thrush of the monotypic genus Hylocichla (Winker & Pruett, 2006) which is sometimes merged into Catharus. [more]

Chlamydochaera

The Black-breasted Fruit-hunter (Chlamydochaera jefferyi) is an enigmatic species of bird currently placed with the typical thrushes in the family Turdidae. It is endemic to forests on the south-east Asian island Borneo. [more]

Cichlherminia

The Forest Thrush (Cichlherminia lherminieri) is a species of in the Turdidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Cichlherminia. It is found in Dominica, Guadeloupe, Montserrat, and Saint Lucia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes. It is threatened by habitat loss. [more]

Cichlopsis

The Rufous-brown Solitaire (Cichlopsis leucogenys) is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. [more]

Cochoa

The cochoas are medium-sized insectivorous and molluscivorous in the genus Cochoa. They were formerly in the thrush family Turdidae, but are more often now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. [more]

Cyanosylvia

Dryocichloides

[more]

Entomodestes

Entomodestes is a small genus of birds in the thrush family. They are found in humid Andean highland forest in South America. The two species both have black underparts and head, and a white patch on the lower face, but differ in the color of the back. [more]

Geocichla

[more]

Geomalia

The Geomalia, Geomalia heinrichi also known as the Sulawesi Mountain-Thrush is a rare member of the thrush family endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia. It is the only species in its monotypic genus. [more]

Heinrichia

The Great Shortwing (Heinrichia calligyna) is a species of bird in the Turdidae family, and the only member of its genus. It is endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia. [more]

Hylocichla

The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is a North American passerine bird. It is closely related to other thrushes such as the American Robin and is widely distributed across North America, wintering in Central America and southern Mexico. The Wood Thrush is the official bird of the District of Columbia. [more]

Ixoreus

The Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius or Zoothera naevia) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. [more]

Myadestes

Myadestes is a genus of , medium-sized mostly insectivorous birds in the thrush family Turdidae. [more]

Myadinastes

[more]

Myiophoneus

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]

Myophonus

The whistling-thrushes comprise a genus Myophonus (Myiophoneus) of the thrush family Turdidae. [more]

Neocossyphus

The flycatcher-thrushes are medium-sized insectivorous in the genus Neocossyphus of the thrush family Turdidae. Two species are commonly called "ant-thrushes"; these should not be confused with the antthrushes of the suboscine family Formicariidae, which are only very distantly related. [more]

Nesocichla

The Tristan Thrush (Nesocichla eremita) is a species of in the Turdidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Nesocichla. It is endemic to Saint Helena. [more]

Pentholaea

[more]

Planesticus

[more]

Platycichla

Platycichla is a small genus of tropical South American thrushes. It contains just two species: [more]

Psophocichla

The Groundscraper Thrush (Psophocichla litsitsirupa) is a passerine bird of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the thrush family Turdidae. It is the only member of the genus Psophocichla. [more]

Ridgwayia

The Aztec Thrush (Ridgwayia pinicola or Zoothera pinicola) is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is found mainly in Mexico, but vagrants are occasionally seen in the United States. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. [more]

Sialia

The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous in the genus Sialia of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and red, plumage. Female birds are less brightly colored than males, although color patterns are similar and there is no noticeable difference in size between sexes. [more]

Stizorhina

Fraser?s Rufous Thrush (Neocossyphus fraseri), also known as the Rufous Flycatcher-thrush, is a species of bird in the thrush family. [more]

Turdus

The true thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous in the genus Turdus of the thrush family Turdidae. [more]

Zoothera

The Asian thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Zoothera of the thrush family Turdidae. [more]

At least 89 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Zoothera.

More info about the Genus Zoothera may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Thrushes by Peter Clement. Princeton University Press (2001), ISBN 978-0-691-08852-5.
  2. ^ a b Perrins, C. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph. ed. Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds. London: Merehurst Press. pp. 186?187. ISBN 1-85391-186-0. 
  3. ^ http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/woodland/msg051859363475.html
  4. ^ http://rogcad.com/hermitthrush/index.htm

Footnotes

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  1. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=22127

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:45:27