Taita Thrush
Turdus helleri
The Taita Thrush (Turdus helleri) is a legendary thrush found only in Kenya, weighing about 69 g. The Taita thrush, also known as the Taita olive thrush or Heller's ground thrush, is an endangered bird in the thrush family Turdidae, endemic to the Taita Hills in southern Kenya.
About the Taita Thrush
The Taita thrush, also known as the Taita olive thrush or Heller's ground thrush, is an endangered bird in the thrush family Turdidae, endemic to the Taita Hills in southern Kenya.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Taita thrush was previously classified as subspecies of the olive thrush (Turdus olivaceus), but it is now treated as distinct species. It reaches a length between 20 and 22 centimetres. The head and upperparts are dark grey-brown to black, the breast is grey, the underparts are white, and the flanks are rufous-red. The eye is dark with a narrow yellow or orange eye-ring, and the bill and legs are bright orange. It was named after the zoologist Edmund Heller (1875–1939), a workmate of the American ornithologist Edgar Alexander Mearns (1856–1916) who first described this species in 1913.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Taita Thrush?
- The Taita thrush was previously classified as subspecies of the olive thrush (Turdus olivaceus), but it is now treated as distinct species. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Taita Thrush?
- The Taita Thrush is a medium sized bird weighing about 69 g.
- Where can you see a Taita Thrush?
- The Taita Thrush is endemic to Kenya, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Taita Thrush?
- The Taita Thrush is most easily confused with the Usambara Thrush, the Comoro Thrush and the Eastern Red-legged Thrush.
- Is the Taita Thrush endangered?
- The Taita Thrush is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Taita Thrush for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.