African thrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids African thrush |
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The African thrush (Turdus pelios) is a common bird found in many parts of western Africa. It belongs to the thrush family. These birds live in areas with lots of trees. They do not migrate, meaning they stay in the same place all year.
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What Does the African Thrush Look Like?
The African thrush has dark olive-grey feathers on its back and upper parts. Its throat is whitish with brown streaks. The chest is greyish-brown. Its sides are a pale buff-orange color. The belly and bottom are white. This bird has a bright yellow-orange beak. It usually weighs about 46 to 78 grams (1.6 to 2.7 ounces). It is about 21 to 23 centimeters (8.3 to 9.1 inches) long.
What Does the African Thrush Sound Like?
The African thrush sings a clear, warbling song. It repeats different sounds in a random way. It also makes a high-pitched squealing sound when it flies.
Where Does the African Thrush Live?
You can find the African thrush across a wide area of Africa. Its home ranges from Senegal and Gambia in the west. It goes all the way to South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea in the east. You can also find it south to northwestern Zambia and western Angola.
What Kind of Places Do They Like?
African thrushes live in many types of wooded areas. This includes the edges of forests and areas near rivers. They also like scrubland, farms, parks, and gardens.
How Do African Thrushes Behave?
African thrushes are usually seen alone or in pairs. They are quite shy and prefer to stay hidden in plants. However, they will come out to eat fruit from trees. They often look for food on the ground. They will flip over leaf litter and search through plants.
If they are used to people, they might feed out in the open. They are also known to break open snail shells on a stone. This is similar to how a song thrush in Europe eats. They look for food early in the morning and late in the evening. Their diet is mostly fruit, like figs, papaya, and berries. They also eat seeds. Sometimes, they eat small invertebrates and even tiny fish.
Breeding and Nests
African thrushes can breed in any month of the year. However, they are most active during the wet season. In West Africa, this is from March to October. In Ethiopia, it's April to July. In other parts of their range, it's November to March.
Their nest is shaped like a cup and is quite big. They build it using plant fibers and mud. They line the inside with fine grasses, leaves, and roots. The nest is usually placed on a horizontal branch. It can also be in a tree fork or among vines. Nests are typically less than 10 meters (33 feet) off the ground. Sometimes, they will use an old nest built by another bird.
The female bird is in charge of incubating the eggs. They usually lay 2 or 3 eggs. Both parents help feed the young birds. African thrushes often raise two sets of chicks in a breeding season.
How Scientists Classify the African Thrush
Scientists group the African thrush with other similar birds. It might be part of a larger group that includes the Kurrichane thrush. Some types of African thrush were once thought to be part of the olive thrush species. But now, they are considered their own species.
Images for kids
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An African Thrush perched on a branch.
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