| Christmas thrush | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Museum bird skin specimen | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Turdidae |
| Genus: | Turdus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | T. p. erythropleurus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus (Sharpe, 1887) | |
The Christmas thrush (Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus) is a subspecies of the island thrush (Turdus poliocephalus). It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
The Christmas thrush has a mainly dark grey-brown head, paler grey-brown throat and upper breast, with olive-brown upperparts. The flanks, lower breast and sides of belly are orange, with a white belly and vent. It is about 21 cm in length, with a wingspan of 34 cm and a weight of 55 g. Its bill, orbital ring and legs are yellow-orange. Males and females are similar in size and appearance. [2]
The subspecies is now limited to Christmas Island. Between 1885 and 1900 it was introduced to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, where it was plentiful for many years on three islands of the main atoll as well as on North Keeling. However, between the 1940s and 1980s population reduced until becoming extirpated. It is commonly found in most habitats on Christmas Island, including rainforest and gardens. It is less common in Pandanus thickets, dense regrowth and post-mining wasteland. [3]
The thrush breeds mainly from early October until the middle of March, though there are records from other months. It nests in trees and tree ferns, and sometimes on the ledges of buildings. The clutch size is usually 2–3, and the incubation period is 18 days, with fledging in 17–19 days. Several broods may be raised in a season. [4]
It forages mainly on the ground, in leaf litter in the forest and forest clearings, as well as on lawns, for small invertebrates, including insects, snails and earthworms, seeds and fallen fruit. [5]
In 2000 the population of the Christmas thrush was estimated to comprise some 4000 birds. The main threat to the subspecies, as well as to other Christmas Island endemic birds, is predation of its nestlings by introduced yellow crazy ants. It was listed by the Australian Government as being Critically Endangered, [6] now Endangered. [1]
The common blackbird is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird, or simply the blackbird where this does not lead to confusion with a similar-looking local species. It breeds in Europe, Asiatic Russia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It has a number of subspecies across its large range; a few of the Asian subspecies are sometimes considered to be full species. Depending on latitude, the common blackbird may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory.
The African thrush or West African thrush is a passerine bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is common in well-wooded areas over much of the western part of sub-Saharan Africa, it was once considered to be conspecific with the olive thrush but that species has now been split further. Populations are resident (non-migratory).
The orange-bellied parrot is a small parrot endemic to southern Australia, and one of only three species of parrot that migrate. It was described by John Latham in 1790. A small parrot around 20 cm (8 in) long, it exhibits sexual dimorphism. The adult male is distinguished by its bright grass-green upper parts, yellow underparts and orange belly patch. The adult female and juvenile are duller green in colour. All birds have a prominent two-toned blue frontal band and blue outer wing feathers.
The white-necked thrush is a songbird found in forest and woodland in South America. The taxonomy is potentially confusing, and it sometimes includes the members of the T. assimilis group as subspecies, in which case the "combined species" is referred to as the white-throated thrush. On the contrary, it may be split into two species, the rufous-flanked thrush and the grey-flanked thrush.
The island thrush is a common forest bird in the thrush family. Almost 50 subspecies have been described, ranging from South East Asia and Melanesia, to Samoa, exhibiting great differences in plumage. Several subspecies are threatened and three have already become extinct.
The terrestrial fauna of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is unsurprisingly depauperate, because of the small land area of the islands, their lack of diverse habitats, and their isolation from large land-masses. However, the fauna dependent on marine resources is much richer.
The Lord Howe thrush, also known as the vinous-tinted thrush or vinous-tinted blackbird, is an extinct subspecies of the island thrush. It was endemic to Lord Howe Island, an Australian island in the Tasman Sea, where it was also called the doctor bird or ouzel by the islanders.
The Tristan thrush, also known as the starchy, is a species of bird in the thrush family that is endemic to the British overseas territories of the isolated Tristan da Cunha archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The Comoros thrush is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in the Comoros Islands in the south western Indian Ocean.
The Norfolk thrush, also known as the grey-headed blackbird or guava bird, was a bird in the thrush family endemic to Norfolk Island, an Australian territory in the Tasman Sea. It is the extinct nominate subspecies of the island thrush.
The Borneo thrush, also known as the mountain blackbird or locally in Dusun as Luhui tana, is a bird in the thrush family. It is a subspecies of the island thrush endemic to the island of Borneo.
The Taiwan thrush is a bird in the thrush family. It is endemic to the island of Taiwan.
The Norfolk boobook, also known as the Norfolk Island boobook, Norfolk Island owl or Norfolk Island morepork, was a bird in the true owl family endemic to Norfolk Island, an Australian territory in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. It is an extinct subspecies of the morepork. However, although the taxon is extinct, its genes live on in the descendants of the hybrid offspring of the last female bird, which was sighted for the last time in 1996.
The Lord Howe currawong, Lord Howe Island currawong or Lord Howe pied currawong, is a large and mainly black passerine bird in the family Artamidae. It is endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, part of New South Wales, Australia, and is a threatened subspecies of the pied currawong.
The Lord Howe golden whistler, also known as the Lord Howe whistler or Lord Howe Island golden whistler, and locally as the “robin” or “yellow robin”, is a small bird in the whistler family, Pachycephalidae. It is a subspecies of the Australian golden whistler that is endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, part of New South Wales, Australia.
The Norfolk robin, also known as the Norfolk Island scarlet robin or Norfolk Island robin, is a small bird in the Australasian robin family Petroicidae. It is endemic to Norfolk Island, an Australian territory in the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand.
The Christmas goshawk or Christmas Island goshawk, is a bird of prey in the goshawk and sparrowhawk family Accipitridae. It is a threatened endemic of Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean.
The Christmas Island swiftlet, also known as the Christmas glossy swiftlet or the Christmas cave swiftlet, is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean. It was formerly commonly treated as a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet.
The Christmas emerald dove, also known as the Christmas green-winged pigeon, is a bird in the pigeon family, Columbidae. It is a distinctive subspecies of the common emerald dove that is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean.
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