Bird Guide

Black-throated Thrush vs Rufous-collared Thrush

Black-throated Thrush (Turdus atrogularis)

Black-throated Thrush

Turdus atrogularis

Medium106 gForest

This is a large and distinctive thrush. The male has black from the chin to the breast with a greyish black tail. The upperparts are grey and the underparts are whitish with orange-red underwing coverts. Females and immatures are similar but the black on the throat and breast is replaced with dusky streaking.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ксения Волянская · CC BY 4.0
Rufous-collared Thrush (Turdus rufitorques)

Rufous-collared Thrush

Turdus rufitorques

Medium72 gForest

The rufous-collared thrush is 23 to 25.5 cm (9.1 to 10 in) long; three individuals weighed 70 to 74 g (2.5 to 2.6 oz). The species is sexually dimorphic. Adult males have a mostly black head with a whitish chin and a throat streaked with black and cinnamon-rufous. They have a wide collar of cinnamon-rufous or chestnut-rufous on the nape and sides of the neck that in front extends to include the breast. Their flanks, belly, and undertail coverts are black. Adult females have a pattern similar to the male's but with lighter and duller colors. Their crown is brownish with darker streaks. Voice: The rufous-collared thrush sings from a prominent high perch. Its song is described as "evenly spaced high-pitched warbling whistles and trills...tre'e'e'e'e-chur'e'e'e'e'e'e-We dirt!-Tea'a'a'a-pretty'dirt'pretty'dirt'irt'irt'irt'irt--We'dirt-tseet!-Tea'Tea'ear'ear'ear'ear'ear". Its call is "chut'chut'chut".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Rajan Rao · CC BY 4.0

Learn this pair in the BeakBrain App

Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Play today's Daily Bird

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black-throated Thrush and Rufous-collared Thrush.