| Samoan island thrush | |
|---|---|
|   | |
|  Scientific classification   | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota | 
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Chordata | 
| Class: | Aves | 
| Order: | Passeriformes | 
| Family: | Turdidae | 
| Genus: | Turdus | 
| Species: | T. samoensis  | 
| Binomial name | |
| Turdus samoensis  Tristram, 1879  | |
The Samoan island thrush (Turdus samoensis) is a species of passerine bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is endemic to the Samoan Islands, which includes Samoa and American Samoa. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the island thrush, but in 2024 the island thrush complex was split into 17 different species by the IOC and Clements checklist based on morphological and phylogenic differences. [1] [2]
The Samoan island thrush was first described by clergyman and zoological collector Henry Baker Tristram in 1879 as Turdus samoensis. [3] For a long time afterwards it was considered a subspecies of island thrush. However following a phylogenetic study in 2023, and with consideration to morphological differences between subspecies, the Samoan island thrush is now treated as a distinct species. [4] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. [5]