African Thrush Turdus pelios
Abuja, Nigeria. 15 August 2006

The African Thrush Turdus pelios is a highly variable and taxonomically contentious species found right across central Africa, with perhaps future splits in the offing. Nigerian birds are extremely plain: Clement and Hathaway (in Thrushes Helm, 2000) recognise six races, and the one in central Nigeria would appear to be saturatus. The sexes are similar, and - as the photos below show - juveniles/immatures are typically ’spotted’ and have a dull-coloured bill.

I took the following photos in the garden of the Abuja Hilton Hotel in the mid-afternoon (on a grey and wet day). In some parts of the range the African Thrush is said to be a shy forest species, but in Abuja the species is both common and unwary, feeding much like Blackbirds or American Robins would do in suburbs throughout the UK or USA.

 

 

 

 

 

All photographs copyright Charlie Moores