The rufous-backed thrush (''Turdus rufopalliatus'') is a

songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds ( Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 50 ...

of the

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 ...

family. It is endemic to the Pacific slope of

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. It is also known as the rufous-backed robin.

Description

This species resembles its widespread relative 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 clos ...

in general appearance, but is a bit smaller at long, with an average wingspan of and weight of . It is named for the adult's rufous or olive-rufous upper back, which contrasts with the grayish head, nape, and rump. The chest and flanks are also rufous. The belly and undertail coverts are white; the throat is white with many black streaks. The bill and eye-ring are yellow. Females are typically somewhat duller-colored than males. Juveniles, like other juvenile ''Turdus'' thrushes, are spotted below; they are browner and have pale flecks above. The subspecies of the

Islas Tres Marías Islas is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Arturo Islas (1938–1991), professor of English and a novelist from Texas *Daniel Islas (born 1979), Argentine football goalkeeper *Luis Islas (born 1965), former football goalkeeper * ...

, also found around San Blas,

Nayarit Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...

, is sometimes considered a separate species, Grayson's robin or Grayson's thrush, ''Turdus graysoni'' ( Ridgway, 1882). It looks "washed out", with little rufous tinting. The song is slow and warbling, with repetition of phrases. An example is "''weedele loo loo freerlii...''" The alarm call is a long, mellow, descending whistle, "''cheeoo'' or ''teeeuu''". Other calls resemble those of the American robin; the flight call is thinner.

Range and habitat

The rufous-backed robin inhabits dry deciduous forests, including the edges, and in human-planted habitats, at heights from the ground to high in trees. Its main range extends from southeastern

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...

to the southeastern corner of

Oaxaca ) , population_note = , population_rank = 10th , timezone1 = CST , utc_offset1 = −6 , timezone1_DST = CDT , utc_offset1_DST = −5 , postal_code_type = Postal ...

along the coast and in the

Río Balsas The Balsas River (Spanish Río Balsas, also locally known as the Mezcala River, or Atoyac River) is a major river of south-central Mexico. The basin flows through the states of Guerrero, México, Morelos, and Puebla. Downstream of Ciudad Alta ...

drainage. The isolated populations in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

and

Oaxaca City Oaxaca de Juárez (), also Oaxaca City or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec: ''Ndua''), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Mexican state Oaxaca. It is the municipal seat for the surrounding Municipality of Oaxaca. It is in the Centro ...

are probably descended from escaped cage birds. A number of vagrants have reached the Mexican-border states of the United States, where they are often found in riparian woods.

Behavior

This species is shyer than the American robin. In winter it often forms flocks. The diet is typical of thrushes: fruit and invertebrates, especially insects. Reproduction resembles that of other ''

Turdus 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" is used for many other birds of the family Tu ...

'' species. The eggs are whitish with heavy red-brown markings. In regard to nesting, nests are usually made of plant material mixed with mud, found in trees and shrubs, and can hold about 2-3 nestlings One of the parents tends to build the nest, while both sexes care for the nestlings and defend the nest territory.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1062449 Turdus Endemic birds of Mexico Thrush, Rufous-backed Birds of the Sierra Madre Occidental Birds of the Sierra Madre del Sur Birds of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Fauna of Islas Marías Natural history of Colima Natural history of Nayarit Natural history of Oaxaca Natural history of Sonora Birds described in 1840