Cocoa Thrush

The Cocoa Thrush, Turdus fumigatus, is a resident breeding bird in South America from eastern Colombia south and east to central and eastern Brazil, and on Trinidad and some of the Lesser Antilles.

The habitat of this large thrush is dense forest. The nest is a lined bulky cup of twigs low in a tree or treefern. Two to three reddish-blotched greenish-blue eggs are laid and incubated by the female for about 13 days to hatching. The young then fledge in another 13-15 days.

The Cocoa Thrush is 22-24 cm long. It is dark rufous brown above and paler rufous brown below. There are five poorly defined races, differing mainly in the brightness of the plumage. Sexes are similar, but young birds are duller, having the scalloped underparts common in immature thrushes.

The Cocoa Thrush mainly feeds on or near the ground on insects, especially ants, other invertebrates and some berries. It is a shy species, but on Trinidad it is much tamer, and will come to feeders. The song is a musical warble, and it also produces a variety of typical thrush chuck and chak calls.

References

• Thrushes by Clement and Hathaway, ISBN 0-7136-3940-7
• Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
• Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1