AUSTRAL THRUSH

Common name : Austral Thrush 

Scientific name : Turdus falcklandi

Order : Passerines

Length : 9 inches.

DESCRIPTION

Brown head; crown and nape dark brown; mantle, back and wing coverts light brown. Whitish brown throat with dark longitudinal striae. Chest and abdomen whitish brown, somewhat yellowish. Primaries, secondaries and tail blackish. Solid yellow bill and yellow legs. Darkbrowneyeswithyellowlids.

ENVIRONMENT AND NOURISHMENT

In Chile, the magellanicus subspecies is distributed from Chañaral in the Atacama Region to Cape Horn in the Magallanes Region. It can live on surfaces at sea level, or up to 2,200 meters high. It frequents green areas of cities: parks, squares and gardens, as well as fields, meadows, cultivated areas, edges and interiors of the forest. In Punta Arenas it is common to see it in patios and gardens in the winter season, when the peaks are covered with snow. It is an omnivorous bird, since it feeds on fruits, both cultivated and native, and on insects, gastropods, annelids and some seeds.

PROCREATION

It reproduces from August to January, having 2 to 3 postures in the season. The nest is shaped like an open cup, lined with grass and mud. It usually hides it among the thickest foliage of trees and shrubs, at a height of 2 to 6 meters from the ground. The eggs, 2 to 3 in the clutch (4 in some cases), are bluish with many reddish-brown spots; Approximate dimensions of 31 x 23 mm.

CONSERVATION

According to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species is in category: LC (Least Concern).