Platycichla
Encyclopedia
Platycichla is a small genus of tropical South America
n thrushes. It contains just two species:
These are medium sized (20–23 cm long) bird
s of humid mountain forests. Their nests are a typical thrush’s lined cup of twigs.
In both species the male is mainly dark grey or black with yellow legs and bill, and the female essentially warm brown above and paler below.
The Platycichla thrushes mainly feed in trees and bushes on fruit
and some insect
s. They are shy species, and the females in particular is difficult to see, since she does not sing. The song of the male consists of melodic musical phrases.
The main argument for separating this genus
from Turdus
is the smaller size of the former compared to most members of the latter. Similarities in plumage
, vocalization, behavior, and genetics
lead to the South American Classification Committee (SACC) eliminating Platycichla (instead including the two species in Turdus) following a proposal in 2006.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n thrushes. It contains just two species:
- Pale-eyed ThrushPale-eyed ThrushThe Pale-eyed Thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
, Platycichla leucops - Yellow-legged ThrushYellow-legged ThrushThe Yellow-legged Thrush is a songbird of northern and eastern South America. In recent times, it is increasingly often placed in the genus Turdus again.-Description:...
, Platycichla flavipes
These are medium sized (20–23 cm long) bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s of humid mountain forests. Their nests are a typical thrush’s lined cup of twigs.
In both species the male is mainly dark grey or black with yellow legs and bill, and the female essentially warm brown above and paler below.
The Platycichla thrushes mainly feed in trees and bushes on fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and some insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. They are shy species, and the females in particular is difficult to see, since she does not sing. The song of the male consists of melodic musical phrases.
The main argument for separating this genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
from Turdus
True thrush
The true thrushes are medium-sized mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Turdus of the thrush family Turdidae.The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Several species have also colonised some oceanic islands, and...
is the smaller size of the former compared to most members of the latter. Similarities in plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
, vocalization, behavior, and genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
lead to the South American Classification Committee (SACC) eliminating Platycichla (instead including the two species in Turdus) following a proposal in 2006.