Spotted Morning Thrush

Cichladusa guttata

Other Pics: Spotted Morning Thrush (intercalans)

Other Names

  Spotted Morning Warbler, Spotted Palm Thrush   Cichladuse tachetée   Tropfenrötel       Palmlijster   Tordo delle palme macchiato

World: Eastern Africa from South-East Tanzania to Kenya, northern Uganda and southern areas of Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Kenya: North-western, central and south eastern Kenya. Absent from the south-west and from most of the North and East.

Generally skulks in bushes and shrubbery but sometimes becoming bolder around gardens and lodges. Similar at first look to Scrub Robins but has much narrower white "eyebrows" and no white in the wings. Most resembles a Spotted Ground Thrush, but since they're found in totally different areas that's not usually a problem! Three races are found in Kenya: C. g. guttata (above) is found in the North down to Lake Baringo; C. g. intercalans (next page) is found in the southern half of the country; C. g. rufipennis on the coast, North of Malindi.