Eastern red-legged thrush

The eastern red-legged thrush is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. Endemic to the Caribbean, it is found on the islands of Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Dominica.
In Puerto Rico, it is known as zorzal de patas coloradas.

Taxonomy

The eastern red-legged thrush was first described by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1822 as Turdus ardosiaceus. It was later lumped as a subspecies of red-legged thrush. In 2025 the species was split in two by the AviList and The [Clements Checklist of Birds of the World|Clements checklist] based on differences in plumage and genetics.
Two subspecies are recognised:

T. a. albiventris – Dominica
T. a. ardosiaceus Vieillot, LJP, 1822 – Hispaniola, including Gonâve and Tortue islands, and Puerto Rico

Description

The eastern red-legged thrush is mainly slaty above and pale belly with a white and black variably striped throat. The legs, bill and eye ring are bright orange-red.

Habitat

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest.

Diet

Its food is mostly fruits, but a third of its diet is animal matter: insects, plus occasional snails, frogs, lizards and birds' eggs.