Abyssinian Thrush
Turdus abyssinicus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTurdidae (Thrushes)
- GenusTurdus (Typical Thrushes)
- SpeciesTurdus abyssinicus (Abyssinian Thrush)
About the Abyssinian Thrush
The Abyssinian thrush (Turdus abyssinicus) is a passerine bird in the family Turdidae. It is also known as the African mountain thrush, or northern olive thrush The species was formerly treated as conspecific with the olive thrush (Turdus olivaceus) but the species were split based on the genetic differences. The ranges do not overlap. The Abyssinian thrush is native to the eastern Afromontane.
The Abyssinian thrush was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus and coined the binomial name Turdus abyssinicus. Gmelin based his description on "Merle brun d'Abissinie" that had been described in 1775 by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his multi-volume work Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux.
The Abyssinian thrush was formerly usually considered to be conspecific with the olive thrush (Turdus olivaceus). The species were split based on the results of a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2005 that compared mitochondrial DNA sequences.
Six subspecies are recognised: Turdus abyssinicus abyssinicus... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Abyssinian Thrush in Volcanoes National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Volcanoes National Park
African Thrush
Turdus pelios
Abyssinian Ground-Thrush
Geokichla piaggiae
Streaky Seedeater
Crithagra striolata
Chubb's Cisticola
Cisticola chubbi
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Pied Crow
Corvus albus
Baglafecht Weaver
Ploceus baglafecht
Variable Sunbird
Cinnyris venustus
Bronze Sunbird
Nectarinia kilimensis
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow
Passer griseus
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
Black-crowned Waxbill
Estrilda nonnula
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bale Mountains National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 2 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 4 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Nyungwe National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 6 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 8 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 9 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 14 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 16 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 17 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 18 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Abyssinian Thrush in Volcanoes National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Abyssinian Thrush sighting in Volcanoes National Park, based on 366 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Abyssinian Thrush in Volcanoes National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Abyssinian Thrush in Volcanoes National Park in our monthly data.