Olive Thrush (Turdus olivaceus) [XC304802]
by Tim Cockcroft from Grahamstown, Western District, Eastern Cape, South Africa (song)
Olive Thrush (Turdus olivaceus) [XC344958]
by Lynette Rudman from Seafield (near Port Alfred), Western District, Eastern Cape, South Africa (song)
Subspecies
Turdus olivaceus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Taita Thrush (Turdus helleri) on the basis of its highly distinct plumage pattern, and reportedly different voice (following Collar and Stuart 1985), Somali Thrush (Turdus ludoviciae) on the basis of its extremely distinct plumage pattern following Collar et al. (1994) and Olive Thrush (Turdus olivaceus) (with species limits accordingly revised).
Taxonomy complex and not fully understood. Commonly considered conspecific with Taita Thrush (Turdus helleri) and Somali Thrush (Turdus ludoviciae). Also, most subspecies of African Thrush (Turdus pelios) have in the past been included within present species. Hybridization with Kurrichane Thrush (Turdus libonyana) claimed in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Recent morphological and molecular analyses suggest that subspecies smithi possibly a separate species, but further evaluation required in view of lack of clarity over plumage characters and nature and extent of a hybrid zone with parapatric nominate subspecies. Northern assemblage of subspecies, centred on abyssinicus, may also warrant treatment as a distinct species, but further study needed.
Proposed subspecies mwaki (described from western Turkana, in Kenya), which implicitly also includes porini (replacement for fuscatus, described from northern Nandi Forest, in Kenya), considered indistinguishable from abyssinicus.
The following 14 subspecies are recognised:
abyssinicus Linnaeus, 1766 - Eritrea and Ethiopia south to Sudan, northern Uganda, north, western and central Kenya and northern Tanzania (south to Loliondo). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Abyssinian Thrush (Turdus abyssinicus).
deckeni Cabanis, 1868 - Northern Tanzania (Kilimanjaro south to Monduli). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Abyssinian Thrush (Turdus abyssinicus).
oldeani P. L. Sclater and Moreau, 1935 - Mbulu and Crater Highlands, in northern Tanzania. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Abyssinian Thrush (Turdus abyssinicus).
baraka (Sharpe, 1903) - Eastern DRCongo (Virunga Park) and western Uganda (Ruwenzori Mts). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Abyssinian Thrush (Turdus abyssinicus).
bambusicola Neumann, 1908 - Eastern DRCongo, Burundi, Rwanda, south-western Uganda and north-western Tanzania. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Abyssinian Thrush (Turdus abyssinicus).
roehli Reichenow, 1905 - North-eastern Tanzania. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Usambara Thrush (Turdus roehli).
nyikae Reichenow, 1904 - Eastern and southern Tanzania, northern Malawi and north-eastern Zambia. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Abyssinian Thrush (Turdus abyssinicus).
milanjensis Shelley, 1893 - Southern Malawi and north-western Mozambique.
swynnertoni Bannerman, 1913 - Eastern Zimbabwe and western Mozambique.
transvaalensis (Roberts, 1936) - North-eastern South Africa and western Swaziland.
smithi Bonaparte, 1850 - Southern Namibia to south-eastern Botswana and north-eastern South Africa. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Karoo Thrush (Turdus smithi).
olivaceus Linnaeus, 1766 - South-western South Africa (Western Cape).
culminans Clancey, 1982 - Eastern South Africa (western KwaZulu-Natal).
pondoensis Reichenow, 1917 - South-eastern South Africa (eastern KwaZulu-Natal, eastern Cape).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet