Orange ground thrush
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The orange ground thrush (Geokichla gurneyi) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae.
Taxonomy
The orange ground thrush was described as Turdus gurneyi by Hartlaub in 1864.[1] It is named after John Henry Gurney Sr., an English banker, politician and ornithologist.[2] There are five subspecies: G. g. chuka found in central Kenya; G. g. raineyi found in southeastern Kenya; G. g. otomitra found in western Angola, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and northern Malawi; G. g. gurneyi found in eastern South Africa; and G. g. disruptans found in central Malawi to northeastern South Africa.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Its habitat is montane forests,[1] namely the afromontane of southeastern Africa. The size of its range is estimated at Script error: No such module "convert"..[4] It is found at elevations of Script error: No such module "convert"..[4]
Description
Its length is Script error: No such module "convert".. The male weighs Script error: No such module "convert"., and the female weighs Script error: No such module "convert"..[1] The upperparts are olive-brown; some parts have a grey tinge.[1] The flight feathers are blackish-brown. There are two bars on the wing.[1] The throat, breast and flanks are orange. The vent is white. There is an incomplete white eye-ring.[1] The beak is dark.[5] The legs are pink.[1] The female is similar to the male but is less bright.[1] The immature has mottled underparts.[5]
Behaviour
The orange ground thrush is crepuscular.[1] It is sedentary, but makes altitudinal movements in some regions.[6] Its call is tsip and cureek. Its song is a series of several mellow and melodious notes.[1] It feeds on the ground. Its diet is earthworms, insects, molluscs and fruits.[1] The breeding season is January to May in Kenya, August to December in Tanzania, October to January in Malawi, and September to December in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe.[1] In breeding pairs, the female has been observed to consistently weigh more than the male.[1] The nest is a deep cup built of moss, twigs, leaves, roots and ferns.[1] There are 2 to 3 turquoise-blue eggs.[1] The eggs are incubated for 15 days. The fledging period is 18 to 20 days.[1]
Status
Its population size is not known.[4] Its population is declining because of habitat loss. The IUCN Red List has listed the species as least concern because it has a large range and its population is not declining quickly enough for it to be considered vulnerable.[4]
References
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