Aztec Thrush

About the Aztec Thrush

The Aztec thrush (Ridgwayia pinicola) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found mainly in Mexico, but vagrants are occasionally seen in the United States. Its natural habitat is montane forests. The IUCN Red List denotes it as a least-concern species.

Philip Sclater described the species as Turdus pinicola from southern Mexico in 1859. In 1882, Leonhard Stejneger moved the species into its own genus, Ridgwayia. The genus name honors ornithologist Robert Ridgway. It is also placed in the genus Zoothera. Two subspecies are recognized: R. p. maternalis found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, and R. p. pinicola in southwestern Mexico.

The Aztec thrush is 21.5–24 cm (8.5–9.4 in) long and weighs 67–88 grams (2.4–3.1 oz). The adult male has a dark brown hood, the head, neck and upper mantle being dark brown, with pale flecks or streaks. There may be a pale brown supercilium. The back, scapulars, median coverts and greater coverts are dark brown, the greater coverts having white edges. The primary coverts are black, with grey tips. The flight feathers are black, with some white patches. The lesser and median coverts of... Wikipedia →