True thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous
birds in the
genus ''Turdus'' of the wider thrush family,
Turdidae. The genus name ''Turdus'' is
Latin for "thrush". The term "
thrush
''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...
" is used for many other birds of the family Turdidae as well as for a number of species belonging to several other families.
The genus has a
cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...
, with species in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Several species have also colonised some oceanic islands, and two species have been
introduced to New Zealand. Some New World species are called ''robins'', the most well known of which is the
American robin
The American robin (''Turdus migratorius'') is a migratory bird of the true thrush genus and Turdidae, the wider thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closel ...
. Several species are
migratory.
While some species are often split out of ''Turdus'', the two small thrushes formerly separated in ''
Platycichla
''Platycichla'' is a small disputed genus of tropical South American thrushes. It contains just two species:
* Pale-eyed thrush, ''Platycichla (Turdus) leucops''
* Yellow-legged thrush, ''Platycichla (Turdus) flavipes''
These are medium-size ...
'' by many authors have been restored to the present genus in recent years.
Taxonomy and systematics
The genus ''Turdus'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist
Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the
tenth edition of his ''
Systema Naturae
' (originally in Latin written ' with the ligature æ) is one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) and introduced the Linnaean taxonomy. Although the system, now known as binomial nomen ...
''. The
type species was subsequently designated as the
mistle thrush
The mistle thrush (''Turdus viscivorus'') is a bird common to much of Europe, temperate Asia and North Africa. It is a year-round resident in a large part of its range, but northern and eastern populations migrate south for the winter, often ...
. The name ''Turdus'' is the Latin word for a "thrush".
Current species
Eighty-eight extant
species and one extinct species are recognized
*
Former species
Formerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus ''Turdus'':
*
Rufous whistler (as ''Turdus pectoralis'' or ''Turdus prasinus'')
*
Grey shrikethrush (as ''Turdus harmonicus'')
* †
South Island piopio
The South Island piopio (''Turnagra capensis'') also known as the New Zealand thrush, was a passerine bird of the family Oriolidae.
Taxonomy and systematics
The South Island piopio was originally described in the genus ''Tanagra'' (a synony ...
(as ''Turdus crassirostus'')
*
Ethiopian oriole
The Ethiopian oriole (''Oriolus monacha'') is a species of bird in the family Oriolidae.
It is found in north-eastern Africa where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.
Taxonomy
The Ethiopian oriole was formally describe ...
(as ''Turdus monacha'')
*
Restless flycatcher
The restless flycatcher (''Myiagra inquieta'') or restless myiagra is a passerine bird in the family Monarchidae; it is also known as the razor grinder or scissors grinder because of its distinctive call. It is a native of eastern and southern A ...
(as ''Turdus inquietus'')
*
Black-headed bulbul
The black-headed bulbul (''Brachypodius melanocephalos'') is a member of the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in forests in south-eastern Asia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The black-headed bulbul was originally described in the genus ''T ...
(as ''Turdus atriceps'')
*
Ruby-throated bulbul
The ruby-throated bulbul (''Rubigula dispar''), or yellow bulbul, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is found on Sumatra, Java, and Bali.
Taxonomy and systematics
The ruby-throated bulbul was originally described in the ge ...
(as ''Turdus dispar'')
*
Red-vented bulbul (as ''Turdus cafer'')
*
Sooty-headed bulbul
The sooty-headed bulbul (''Pycnonotus aurigaster'') is a species of songbird in the Bulbul family, Pycnonotidae.
It is found in south-eastern Asia.
Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Description
A medium-sized s ...
(as ''Turdus aurigaster'')
*
African red-eyed bulbul
The African red-eyed bulbul or black-fronted bulbul (''Pycnonotus nigricans'') is a species of songbird in the family Pycnonotidae.
It is found in south-western Africa.
Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, ...
(as ''Turdus aurigaster'')
*
Cape bulbul
The Cape bulbul (''Pycnonotus capensis'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in coastal bush, open forest, gardens and fynbos in western and southern South Africa. This species nests mainly in t ...
(as ''Turdus capensis'')
*
Common bulbul (as ''Turdus barbatus'')
*
Egyptian bulbul (as ''Turdus Arsinoe'')
*
Orange-spotted bulbul
The orange-spotted bulbul (''Pycnonotus bimaculatus'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Java, Bali and Sumatra.
It favors forest edges and open meadows in montane forests.
Taxonomy and systemati ...
(as ''Turdus bimaculatus'')
*
Yellow-vented bulbul (analis) (as ''Turdus analis'')
*
Sombre greenbul
The sombre greenbul (''Andropadus importunus'') is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is a resident breeder in coastal bush, evergreen forest and dry shrub land in eastern and southern Africa. It is the only member of the genu ...
(as ''Turdus importunus'')
*
Réunion bulbul
The Réunion bulbul (''Hypsipetes borbonicus'') is a species of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is endemic to Réunion.
Taxonomy and systematics
The Réunion bulbul was originally described in the genus ''Turdus''. Formerly, some author ...
(as ''Turdus Borbonicus'')
*
Mauritius bulbul
The Mauritius bulbul (''Hypsipetes olivaceus''), is a songbird belonging to the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is endemic to Mauritius.
Taxonomy and systematics
The Mauritius bulbul was the type species of the obsolete genus ''Ixocincla'', whic ...
(as ''Turdus atricilla'')
*
Malagasy bulbul (as ''Turdus Madagascariensis'')
*
Black bulbul (as ''Turdus leucocephalus'')
*
Philippine bulbul (as ''Turdus philippinus'')
*
Brown-eared bulbul
The brown-eared bulbul (''Hypsipetes amaurotis'') is a medium-sized bulbul native to eastern Asia. It is extremely common within the northern parts of its range and can be found from southern Sakhalin to the northern Philippines.
Taxonomy and ...
(as ''Turdus amaurotis'')
References
Further reading
*
External links
Videos, photos and sounds- The Internet Bird Collection
{{Taxonbar, from=Q115661
Turdidae
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus