About Catharus mexicanus (Bonaparte, 1856)
Scientific name: Catharus mexicanus (Bonaparte, 1856), commonly called the black-headed nightingale-thrush. This bird measures 15 to 16.5 cm (5.9 to 6.5 in) in length and weighs approximately 30 g (1.1 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies C. m. mexicanus have a black crown, a dark gray face, and a bright orange eye-ring. Their upperparts are olive-brown. Their throat is white with faint dark streaks, their breast and flanks are pale grayish brown, and their belly and vent are white. Adult females are similar to males, but have a browner head and browner breast. Subspecies C. m. cantator is slightly smaller than the nominate subspecies, with a much grayer face and throat, and an olive wash on the breast. Subspecies C. m. yaegeri has a strong rufescent wash on its back. Subspecies C. m. carrikeri has dark ruddy tones on its upperparts, and the darkest gray underparts of all subspecies. All subspecies have bright orange bills, legs, and feet. The black-headed nightingale-thrush has a disjunct distribution, with each subspecies occupying a separate range: C. m. mexicanus ranges across east-central Mexico from Tamaulipas to Veracruz and western Chiapas; C. m. cantator ranges from Chiapas to eastern Guatemala; C. m. yaegeri is found in Honduras; C. m. carrikeri ranges from Nicaragua through Costa Rica into western Panama, reaching Veraguas Province. One individual of C. m. mexicanus stayed in Hidalgo County, Texas for most of 2004. The black-headed nightingale-thrush primarily lives in lowland and montane evergreen forest in the tropical and subtropical zones. In Guatemala and Honduras, it is also found in pine-oak forest. Sources disagree on the species' overall elevational range: one source reports a range of 600 to 1,800 m (2,000 to 5,900 ft), while another reports 750 to 1,800 m (2,500 to 5,900 ft), with the latter given as the elevational range for Guatemala and Honduras. A Costa Rican bird field guide places the species between 300 and 1,000 m (1,000 and 3,300 ft) on Costa Rica's Caribbean slope, and between 700 and 1,300 m (2,300 and 4,300 ft) on Costa Rica's Pacific slope.
