The red-backed thrush or rusty-backed thrush (''Geokichla erythronota'') is a species of
bird in the family
Turdidae. Traditionally, it included the
red-and-black thrush (''Z. mendeni'') as a
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
. It is
endemic to forests on
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
and the nearby islands of
Buton and
Kabaena in
Indonesia. It is becoming rare due to
habitat destruction.
Taxonomy
''Geokichla erythronota'' is very similar in morphology to the
chestnut-backed thrush (''Geokichla dohertyi'') and some authorities believe they are
conspecific. Others believe they are distinct. A subspecies (''G. e. kabaena'') has been named from
Kabaena and some researchers believe there is an unnamed race of ''G. erythronota'' on the island of
Buton, the status of which needs to be evaluated.
Description
The red-backed thrush is about long and the sexes are largely similar in appearance.
References
Birds described in 1859
Taxa named by Philip Sclater
Geokichla
Endemic birds of Sulawesi
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Turdidae-stub