Habitat
Dry and semi-dry woodland and scrub with abundant leaf-litter, often in areas with a clear understorey but sometimes in dense thickets, along ravines and river-valleys, and on dry hillsides well away from streams. From sea-level - 200 m.
Population
Estimated population is 1,300 (2010) and decreasing.
Status EN
Habitat destruction and degradation through conversion to agriculture, charcoal-burning and wood-cutting, housing development, are the main threats.
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.
Food
Invertebrates, small frogs and lizards. Also berries.
Voice
A limited repertoire of short, harsh calls, occasionally a musical 'tee-rou'. Alarm call is a harsh 'tschhhh'. Juveniles located on ground by thin 'tseep' calls.
White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus) [XC589911]
by Simon Elliott from near Praslin, St Lucia (begging call)
White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus) [XC451041]
by Simon Elliott from Praslin area, St Lucia (call)
Subspecies
Was in the past sometimes placed in genus Cinclocerthia, but the two genera may not be closely related. Subspecies sanctaeluciae considered a separate species by some authors.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
brachyurus (Vieillot, 1818) - Martinique, in central Lesser Antilles.
sanctaeluciae Cory, 1887 - St Lucia, in south-central Lesser Antilles.
Similar Species
Grey Trembler (Cinclocerthia gutturalis) is larger, less two-toned, grey above and has white iris.
References
See References.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet