Cocoa Thrush

Often heard before seen: the Cocoa Thrush.

The Cocoa Thrush (Turdus fumigatus) has such an amazing call, often heard early in the morning inside the forest. But just like the Screaming Piha, the Cocoa Thrush also lacks mesmerizing colors in its appearances. 

The Cocoa Thrush is a simple looking bird with its cinnamon brown uniform. It is often active during early mornings, both in calling and in foraging. The Cocoa Thrush seldom sits still on one spot, as it is also a shy bird it will surely fly away as soon as it is discovered.

All these pictures were taken with a lot of patience. Here you see a Cocoa Thrush on the ground at the River Cabin. It was tossing/flipping some leaves as it was searching for some insects (hidden under the leaves). When the sun hasn't come out yet, the Cocoa Thrush will even look much duller in appearance.

A couple of years ago I was also lucky to spot a nest full with nestlings. Here you see one Cocoa Thrush with some berry, ready to feed the hungry ones. 

The nest is made in a tree hole, which is perfectly camouflaged as well. I am not sure if they used nest materials inside this tree trunk as the nest was almost 2.5 meter above the ground. Here you can clearly see 3 nestlings sticking their head outside. 
Most of the time I have seen the bird parents take care of 2 nestlings (either tanagers, flycatchers or hummingbirds), this was the first time that I saw 3 eggs had successfully hatched too. 

Besides that the Cocoa Thrush is a shy and active bird, especially in the mornings, it is also spotted alone inside the forest. Sometimes they are seen in pairs, but a couple that likes to change spots as often as possible.

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