Mountain Thrush

Turdus plebejus

eBird gives this description of the Mountain Thrush:  Rather dull-colored large thrush of mountain forests, rarely encountered. Feeds mainly in fruiting trees and bushes, less often on the ground. Both sexes gray-brown overall with a black bill and dark legs. If seen well, only confusion species is female Black Thrush, which occurs in the same areas and even at the same fruiting trees. Note that female Black Thrush has yellowish legs, faint throat streaking, and slightly warmer brown tones.

The Birds of the World website introduces the Mountain Thrush with this descriptive information:  Also known as the American Mountain Thrush, or Mountain Robin, the Mountain Thrush is a dull-colored Turdus in which the sexes are more or less identically plumaged. Adults are very dark olive brown virtually throughout, although the wings and tail are generally the darker than the body, with a slightly paler throat that appears vaguely streaked. The bare parts are also largely very dark. Three subspecies are generally recognized, reflecting breaks in the species’ apparent distribution, but variation between them appears rather minimal, and this species might be better treated as being monotypic. Mountain Thrush occurs in a wide variety of forest types at higher elevations, from southeastern Mexico south to western Panama.

I met my first Mountain Thrush on the late morning of February 9, 2023.  Our Tropical Birding Tours group was headed toward Cerro Del Muerte and, as we climbed higher we would periodically stop to look for birds.  We spotted this bird on our next to last stop as I recall.  The bird was perched with its tail fanned out making a display of some sort.  An interesting bird, despite being quite plain in the looks department.