Red-legged thrush
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Turdus plumbeus

The red-legged thrush (Turdus plumbeus ) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. Native to the Caribbean, it is found in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Puerto Rico. It formerly occurred on the Swan Islands, Honduras, but was extirpated there.

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In Puerto Rico, the red-legged thrush is known as zorzal de patas coloradas.

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Appearance

This large thrush measures 27 cm (11 in) and weighs approximately 75 g (2.6 oz), depending on subspecies. It is mainly bluish-grey above and lighter-grey below with a white and black throat with a striped appearance. The legs, bill and eye ring are bright orange-red. There is notable variation in plumage between the subspecies.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Countries
Biogeographical realms

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest. This species may be considered the Caribbean counterpart of the American robin, as it has similar habits, including being a common visitor to gardens and lawns.

Red-legged thrush habitat map
Red-legged thrush habitat map
Red-legged thrush
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Habits and Lifestyle

Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

Its food is mostly fruits, but a third of its diet is animal matter: insects (caterpillars, beetles, ants, crickets, wasps), plus occasional snails, frogs, lizards and birds' eggs.

Population

References

1. Red-legged thrush Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-legged_thrush
2. Red-legged thrush on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/103891921/94180223
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/659373

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