Aztec Thrush, Ridgwayia pinicola

Aztec Thrush, Ridgwayia pinicola, Male. Photograph taken within a residential community in Hereford, Arizona, July 2006. Photograph and identification courtesy of Karen LeMay, Sierra Vista, Arizona (naturewideimages.com).

Background and Identification

The Aztec Thrush, Ridgwayia pinicola, is a member of the Turdidae Family of Thrushes and Allies, which has one hundred seventy-four global species placed in eighteen genera and is the sole global member of the Ridgwayia Genus. They are known for their bold coloration and elusive nature. They are rare and found primarily in mountainous regions. Both sexes have a series of melodious whistles and trills, often heard in the forests they inhabit. They are known in Mexico as Zorzal Azteca.

The Aztec Thrush is mid-sized in stature, ranging from 21.5 cm (8.5 inches) to 24 cm (9.4 inches) in length and with masses of 67 g (0.24 oz) to 88 g (0.31 oz). They are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females differ in color and size. Males tend to be slightly larger. The males have a very dark brown head, breast, and mantle, transitioning to grayish-white over the underparts; they have a black tail and black wings that are marked with white and buff. The females are similar in color to the males but are slightly paler. Their bill is black and their legs are pink. They have a characteristic thrush-like shape with a robust body, long legs, and curved bills.

Habitat and Geographical Range

The Aztec Thrush is found in humid pine, pine-oak, and pine evergreen forests at elevations above 1,800 m (5,900 feet) and below 3,500 m (11,480 feet). They are exceedingly difficult to see in the wild and are normally located by their song. They can be found in small foraging flocks and at times in mixed-species flocks. They forage in bushes, trees, and on the ground, with their diets including invertebrates, terrestrial insects and their larvae, and seasonal berries and fruits. The Aztec Thrush is poorly studied, and their biology and behavioral patterns are not well documented.

The Aztec Thrush is endemic to western and central Mexico, being year-round residents of Sinaloa. They are known to make short-range seasonal migrations, but sightings in the United States and northeast Mexico are considered to be extremely rare. 

Common Misidentifications

Several bird species might be mistaken for the Aztec Thrush due to similarities in size or plumage. The American Robin, Turdus migratorius, is similar in shape and size but has a distinctive orange and red breast and dark grey upperparts. Female and juvenile robins would be most likely confused with Aztec Thrushes. Another species that has similar features to the Aztec Thrush is the Black-headed Grosbeak, Pheucticus melanocephalus, which is also white and black in color and similar in size. The grosbeak has a larger bill and bright orange underparts, distinguishing it from the thrush.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective, the Aztec Thrush is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations.