Black-Billed Thrush

One of the most common birds we saw at Tinamu Reserve in Colombia was the black-billed thrush. We also saw at least one at Montezuma Rainforest Lodge. It is very plain and unremarkable in contrast to many birds we saw, but there was something about it that was quite regal and handsome. 

Birds of the World describes it as a "fairly drab, dark billed species" of a branch of thrushes with its "lack of clear field marks being its most diagnostic feature." It goes on to describe it as "fairly non-descript." There are three subspecies. I saw the nominate subspecies (ignobilis) which is found from western Venezuela into Colombia into the central and eastern Andes. 

Range of the black-billed thrust - from Wikipedia

It is "olive-brown above, paler below, with a slightly darker face, brown-streaked off-white coat, whitish mid-belly to vent; black bill and legs." 

At Montezuma Rainforest Lodge, I got a photo of another subspecies (goodfellowii) found in the west slope of the west Andes and Cauca Valley of western Colombia. It is "warmer and darker above than the nominate." 

The third subspecies (debilis) is found in the Amazon floodplain and a range that looks like it extends beyond the bounds of the Wikipedia range map, including eastern Peru and Bolivia.