White-throated Robin

Overview

White-throated Robin: Large thrush, brown upperparts, gray underparts, white undertail coverts. Darker head has thin, yellow eye-ring. Bill is dark gray to yellowish. Brown-streaked white throat is bordered below with thick white crescent. Direct, swift flight on rapidly beating wings.

Range and Habitat

White-throated Robin: Native of Mexico; has been spotted twice in the lower Rio Grande Valley in southernmost Texas in winter. Prefers riparian forests.

INTERESTING FACTS

The White-throated Robin was first described in 1843 by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville, a French entomologist.
It, and similar small European species, are often called chats.
The first documented record for the United States was in February, 1990. The next time this species occurred here was in February, 1998.
A group of robins are collectively known as a "worm" of robins.

The White-throated Robin is generally known as an Old World flycatcher. This species typically migrates to east Africa and rarely Western Europe during winter months. Preferred breeding grounds include southwestern Asia, including areas spanning from Turkey through Afghanistan. Diets consist largely of insects and small invertebrates, caught in-flight or found on the ground. Breeding habitats include dry and rocky slopes with some vegetation, such as sporadic bushes, shrubs or low trees. Nests are built in low shrubs, and 4-5 eggs are laid each year. The conservation rating for the White-throated Robin is currently listed as Least Concern.