Sao Tome Thrush Turdus olivaceofuscus Scientific name definitions

24 cm; 75–95 g. Adult is dull olive-brown above from head below eye to tail, head slightly darker; dusky-buff chin to throat with whitish streaks, dusky-buff scales on buff-washed breast, shading to dusky-buff scalloping on whitish remaining underparts  ; underwing-coverts pale orange-buff against creamy secondaries; iris brown to red; bill large, dark, paler yellowish tip; legs dark brownish grey. Sexes similar. Juvenile is like adult, but lightly flecked buff above, heavily blotched brown below.

São Tomé, in Gulf of Guinea.

Beetles, bugs, caterpillars, earthworms and snails; snails include endemic Columna columna up to 8 cm long. Also much fruit  , including guavas and avocados in orchards, Spondias cytherae and Cecropia in secondary habitat, and in forest notably figs, including Ficus sur, F. kamerunensis and F. fernandesiana. Forages on ground in leaf litter, and gleans from bunches of coconuts; may be partly crepuscular. Snails often smashed on “anvil” stone; hundreds of shells can accumulate at favoured stones.

Song, most often given crepuscularly, an unhurried, rather rhythmic series of 3–5 mellow slurred whistles and several soft high hisses or trills, “tyuu tuuiiuu tiiuu tsss tsss… twii tuuiiuu tiiwo tuuii tuu tsss trrr trrr tsss…”, etc., often followed by 2–3 descending notes, “wiiit wiit wiit”; phrases may be run together into continuous song; may sing for tens of minutes. A series of strident “tschrii tschii” notes at dusk. Call  a low “chup” or “chupchup” in alarm; thin “sip” or repeated “psriii” in flight, accompanied by vibrating wings.

End Jul to Jan, peak Oct–Dec. Nest a bulky cup (130–170 mm × 60–80 mm) of mixed dry vegetable matter and mud, covered externally with dead leaves, moss and interlocked twigs, lined with leaf skeletons and grass stems, usually placed 0·5–4 m off ground in dense vegetation, on horizontal branch, bamboo, forking branch, or banana leaf axil, but can be up to 12 m high. Eggs two, blue-green with dark reddish and purplish-brown flecks and spots, size 27–33·1 mm × 20–23·1 mm. No information on incubation and nestling periods. Many nests destroyed by brown rats (Rattus rattus).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Previously considered Near Threatened. Restricted-range species: present in São Tomé EBA. Occurs at low density, especially at higher altitudes in cloudforest, suggesting that global population is small. Widespread and common in appropriate habitat, but total numbers cannot be large, and removal of shade trees from cocoa plantations a local threat; land privatization and road developments along E & W coasts give some cause for concern over security of primary forest in these areas of the island.