Rufous-backed Robin
Turdus rufopalliatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTurdidae (Thrushes)
- GenusTurdus (Typical Thrushes)
- SpeciesTurdus rufopalliatus (Rufous-backed Robin)
About the Rufous-backed Robin
The rufous-backed thrush (Turdus rufopalliatus) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is endemic to Mexico but is also a casual visitor to the southwestern United States. It is also known as the rufous-backed robin.
The rufous-backed thrush was originally described in 1840 with the binomial Turdus rufo-palliatus and with modern spelling has kept that binomial ever since. Its further taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC, AviList, and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World assign it these three subspecies:
T. r. rufopalliatus Lafresnaye, 1840 T. r. interior Phillips, AR, 1991 T. r. graysoni (Ridgway, 1882) However, the Clements taxonomy does not recognize T. r. interior but includes it within T. r. rufopalliatus. In addition, some authors have suggested that T. r. graysoni deserves recognition as a full species, "Grayson's robin" or "Grayson's thrush". Clements calls its two subspecies the "rufous-backed robin (rufous-backed)" and "rufous-backed robin (Grayson's)".
This article follows the IOC et al. three-subspecies model. The rufous-backed thrush is similar in size and shape to the American robin (T. migratorius... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Townsend's Solitaire
Myadestes townsendi
Mountain Bluebird
Sialia currucoides
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
Varied Thrush
Ixoreus naevius
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
Abert's Towhee
Melozone aberti
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-backed Robin in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-backed Robin sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 62 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Rufous-backed Robin in Saguaro National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Rufous-backed Robin in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.