Kurrichane thrush

The Kurrichane thrush (Turdus libonyana) is a species of bird in the thrush family Turdidae. The species is found from central through to southern Africa. Its natural habitat is dry savanna and woodland, predominantly miombo woodland.

Kurrichane thrush
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Species:
T. libonyana
Binomial name
Turdus libonyana
(Smith, 1836)

Taxonomy and etymology

The Kurrichane thrush was described in 1836 by the zoologist Andrew Smith, based on a specimen collected in the Transvaal in South Africa. It was originally assigned to the defunct genus Merula. The species is a sister species to the Comoro thrush.[2]

The specific epithet of the Kurrichane thrush, libonyana, is derived from the Tswana name for the red-billed buffalo weaver, Lebonyana. It was given by mistake to this species, possibly because it also has a reddish bill.[3] Its common name is derived from a corruption of Kaditshwene (rendered as 'Kurrichane') in South Africa, where the original specimen was collected. That name is thought to be based on a Tswana expression, "Ga se ka ditshwene!", which means "What an incredible number of baboons".[4]

Distribution and habitat

It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Description

The Kurrichane thrush is 21 to 23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) long and weighs around 46–82 g (1.6–2.9 oz). The head, upperparts and breast are grey, and the belly is whitish with orange flanks. The throat is white with black streaks on the side. The bill is orange, tending to a paler yellow at the base. The legs tend to vary in colour. Both sexes are alike.[2]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Turdus libonyanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Collar, N; de Juana, E (2018). del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal, Jordi; Christie, David A; de Juana, Eduardo (eds.). "Kurrichane Thrush (Turdus libonyana)". Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  3. Jobling, J. A. (2018). "Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology | HBW Alive". Handbook of the Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  4. Boeyens, Jan C. A. (June 2000). "In Search of Kaditshwene". The South African Archaeological Bulletin. 55 (171): 3–17. doi:10.2307/3888888. JSTOR 3888888.


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