Karoo Thrush vs Rufous-backed Thrush

Karoo Thrush

Turdus smithi

Medium78 gForest

This medium-sized bird has a length of about 24 cm. It has a wing length between 117 and 131 mm, a culmen length between 20 and 24 mm and a tarsus length between 30.0 and 34.5 mm. It can reach a mass of at least 86 g. It differs from the olive thrush by its longer, entirely yellow bill, its longer wings, and its greyer flanks.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

Rufous-backed Thrush

Turdus rufopalliatus

Medium75 gShrubland

The rufous-backed thrush is similar in size and shape to the American robin (T. migratorius). It is 21.5 to 25.5 cm (8.5 to 10 in) long and weighs 72 to 85 g (2.5 to 3.0 oz). It has a wingspan of about 40 cm (16 in). The sexes have similar plumage though females are overall duller than males. Adults of the nominate subspecies T. r. rufopalliatus have a pale gray head with black lores and a yellow eye-ring. Their mantle, wings, and tail are pale gray. Their back and scapulars are dull chestnut with a gray wash. Their throat and the sides of their neck are white with dark streaks. Voice: The rufous-backed thrush's song is "a leisurely rich warbling includes 2-3x repetition of some phrases". Other vocalizations include a "plaintive, mellow, drawn-out whistle, cheeoo or teeeuu, a fairly hard clucking chuk chuk chuk... or chok..., and a high, thin ssi or ssit, mostly in flight".

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: datadan · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Karoo Thrush and Rufous-backed Thrush.