Samoan island thrush

The Samoan island thrush is a species of passerine bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is endemic to the Samoan Islands, which includes Samoa and American Samoa. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the island thrush, but in 2024 the island thrush complex was split into 17 different species by the IOC and Clements checklist based on morphological and phylogenic differences.

Taxonomy

The Samoan island thrush was first described by clergyman and zoological collector Henry Baker Tristram in 1879 as Turdus samoensis. For a long time afterwards it was considered a subspecies of island thrush. However following a phylogenetic study in 2023, and with consideration to morphological differences between subspecies, the Samoan island thrush is now treated as a distinct species. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.