Spotted palm thrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spotted palm thrush |
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| Adult at Lake Manyara, Tanzania | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cichladusa
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| Species: |
guttata
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The spotted palm thrush (Cichladusa guttata), also known as the spotted morning-thrush, is a small bird. It belongs to the Muscicapidae family. These birds are mostly brown, black, and cream in color.
You can find them in eastern African countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. They live in warm places such as dry forests, grassy savannas, and bushy shrubland. They search for food on the ground, mostly eating small insects and other tiny creatures. These birds communicate by singing different songs, often in pairs.
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What Does the Spotted Palm Thrush Look Like?
The spotted palm thrush is about 16 to 17 centimeters (6.3-6.7 inches) long. It weighs around 17 to 30 grams (less than 0.1 pounds). This bird has a warm brown color on its head, back, and wings.
It has a dark brown stripe near its eyes. Its belly is creamy white with black arrow-shaped spots. Male and female spotted palm thrushes look very similar. This means you cannot easily tell them apart just by looking at them.
Where Do Spotted Palm Thrushes Live?
You can find the spotted palm thrush in many parts of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. They also live in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. You might also see them in the southernmost parts of Sudan.
These birds usually live in places with thick bushes and trees. This includes savannas, woodlands, dry riverbeds, and scrub areas. They like dense plants where they can hide and find food.
What Do Spotted Palm Thrushes Eat?
The spotted palm thrush mainly eats invertebrates. These are small creatures without backbones, like tiny snails. They also eat fruits, such as those from the Cordia tree.
When they are young, spotted palm thrushes mostly eat insect larvae. This includes young bush-crickets, beetle larvae, lampyrinae larvae, and moth caterpillars. They find their food by searching on the ground. They often forage alone or in pairs. Sometimes, you can even spot them looking for food near human areas like game-park lodges and gardens.
How Do Spotted Palm Thrushes Communicate?
Spotted palm thrushes make many different sounds. They also imitate other sounds to communicate. They have two main types of singing: solo singing and duet singing.
A spotted palm thrush will sing by itself. But when it finds a partner, they often sing together in a duet. Males usually start these duets. The female then sings during the quiet moments between the male's notes. These duets usually last about 8 to 20 seconds. The length and loudness of their song can change based on how excited the birds are. To show their excitement before and after a duet, they will raise their body. They point their head and beak upwards, showing off their spotted throat.
