Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush vs Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush

Catharus gracilirostris

Small21 gForest

The black-billed nightingale-thrush is about 15 cm (5.9 in) long and weighs about 20 g (0.71 oz) The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a slate-gray forecrown, an olive-brown crown, and a slate-gray face. Their upperparts, wings, and the upper side of their tail are olive-brown. Their throat is whitish, the middle of their lower belly light gray to whitish, and the rest of their underparts slate-gray with an olivaceous band across the breast. They have a dark brown iris, a black bill, and dark gray legs and feet. Voice: The black-billed nightingale-thrush has a variety of vocalizations. Its song is composed of up to about 18 phrases, each different than the preceding one, and typically alternating between higher and lower pitches. Males usually sing from within understory vegetation and only seldom much higher. During the breeding season males countersing.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Anthony Mora Aguilar · CC BY 4.0

Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush

Catharus mexicanus

Small33 gForest

The black-headed nightingale-thrush is 15 to 16.5 cm (5.9 to 6.5 in) long and weighs about 30 g (1.1 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies C. m. mexicanus have a black crown and a dark gray face with a bright orange eye-ring. Their upperparts are olive-brown. Their throat is white with faint dark streaks, their breast and flanks pale grayish brown, and their belly and vent white. Adult females are similar to males but have a browner head and breast. Subspecies C. m. cantator is slightly smaller than the nominate with a much grayer face and throat and an olive wash on the breast. C. m. Voice: The black-headed nightingale-thrush sings mostly at dawn, dusk, and in the afternoon. Its song is "a series of rapid, thin, flute-like but slightly tinny, fuzzy phrases...e.g. dleet-dloo-dlee-dlee". Its calls include a "harsh complaining upslurred mew, rreahr, meahh or dzeeeet", a "hard dry rattle or trill when agitated", a "soft blurred pseeer", a "slow plaintive chowrr", "grrr", and "meww".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Andre Knocklein · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush and Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush.