Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush vs Russet 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

Russet Nightingale-Thrush

Catharus occidentalis

Small26 gForest

The russet nightingale-thrush is 15.5 to 18 cm (6.1 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 22 to 37 g (0.78 to 1.3 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies C. o. occidentalis have a deep russet brown crown and nape and a light olive brown or buffy olive face. Their upperparts are mostly a more olivaceous russet brown than the crown but the uppertail coverts and tail are more rufescent than the back. Their wings are mostly colored like the back but have buffy at the base of the flight feathers' inner webs. Voice: The russet nightingale-thrush's song is "varied, thin phrases with tinny quality, not particularly musical she-vee-ee-i-lu or chee ti-vee, etc." that is sometimes repeated in fairly rapid succession. Its calls include "a quiet, low, slightly gruff chuk or chruh, and a nasal, mewing reear".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: (c) Nigel Voaden, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY

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