Merle à capuchon

En bref

  • Scientific Name: Turdus olivater
  • Spanish Name: Mirlo capirotado
  • Family: Turdidae
  • Known Nicknames: Black-hooded Mountain Thrush
  • Average Length: 23–26 cm / 9–10 in
  • Average Weight: 70–90 g / 2.5–3.2 oz
  • Wingspan: 35–40 cm / 14–16 in
  • Key Feature: Black hood contrasting with olive-brown body and bright orange bill and legs
  • Primary Diet: Primarily Frugivore and Insectivore
  • Range: Northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and western Brazil)
  • Habitat: Montane cloud forests and humid highland forests, typically at elevations of 1,200–3,000 m
  • Social Structure: Largely Solitary or in Pairs
  • Nesting/Breeding: Cup-shaped nest built in tree forks or shrubs
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Black-hooded Thrush (*Turdus olivater*) is a striking songbird native to the montane forests of the Andes, from Venezuela to Bolivia. Its most distinctive feature is the sharp contrast between its jet-black hood—extending from the crown to the upper breast—and its rich, olive-brown back, wings, and flanks, with a bright white lower belly and undertail coverts that flash during flight. Both sexes share this bold plumage, though females may be slightly duller. A special trait is its clear, fluting song, often delivered at dawn from a high perch, which echoes through misty cloud forests. Unlike many thrushes, it is notably shy and often forages alone or in pairs on the forest floor, flipping leaf litter for insects and fallen berries.

Faits amusants

Despite its name, the Black-hooded Thrush isn't always a dedicated homebody; some high-altitude populations in the Andes perform dramatic altitudinal migrations, descending thousands of feet simply to feast on fruiting trees during non-breeding seasons. It has a peculiar, almost robotic feeding behavior where it will repeatedly flick its wings and tail while hopping sideways along forest floors, a motion thought to startle hidden insects into revealing themselves. The species also exhibits a rare form of cooperative mobbing, where multiple individuals will surround and harass a snake or owl using a specific, low-pitched "churr" call that sounds more like a growling cat than a bird.

Habitats et répartition

The Black-hooded Thrush primarily inhabits montane and submontane forests, including humid cloud forests and elfin woodlands, often at elevations between 1,500 and 3,000 meters. It prefers dense understory vegetation, mossy tree trunks, and areas with abundant epiphytes, and can also be found in forest edges and adjacent secondary growth. Its geographical range is restricted to the northern Andes, occurring from western Venezuela (notably the Coastal Range and the Andes of Táchira) through Colombia’s three cordilleras and into northern Ecuador, with isolated populations in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Black-hooded Thrush is generally solitary or found in loose pairs, especially outside the breeding season, with males defending small territories through song. Mating is monogamous for the season, with courtship involving the male following the female while singing and performing short, fluttering flights to display his black hood and bright bill. The female builds a cup-shaped nest of moss and plant fibers in a tree fork or on a ledge, where she lays 2-3 pale blue eggs with reddish speckles. She incubates alone for roughly 12-14 days, while the male brings food to the nest. Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after about two weeks. A unique strategy is their reliance on high-altitude cloud forest edges, nesting just before the rainy season to exploit peak insect abundance for the young, and they may occasionally reuse a nest site in consecutive years if successful.

Alimentation

The Black-hooded Thrush is primarily a frugivore and insectivore, with its diet shifting seasonally based on availability. It forages on the forest floor and in the understory, consuming a wide variety of small fruits and berries, particularly from trees in the Melastomataceae and Rubiaceae families, as well as figs. During the breeding season, it significantly increases its intake of invertebrates, including beetles, caterpillars, ants, spiders, and earthworms, which provide essential protein for nesting and chick-rearing. An interesting fact is that this thrush employs a "toss-and-swallow" technique for larger fruits, often flipping them into the air to reposition them before swallowing whole, a behavior that aids in seed dispersal across its montane cloud forest habitat. Additionally, it has been observed following army ant swarms to catch insects flushed by the ants, a rare opportunistic feeding strategy among thrushes.

Couleurs

The Black-hooded Thrush has a slate-gray body with a striking black hood extending from its head to the upper breast, contrasting sharply with a white crescent below the eye and a white throat patch. Its wings and tail are darker, almost black, with subtle olive-brown tones on the flanks and vent. This pattern provides disruptive camouflage in dappled Andean cloud forest light, breaking up its silhouette among shadows and foliage.