368 Breeding of the Orange-headed Ground Thrush.


BREEDING OF THE


ORANGE-HEADED GROUND THRUSH.


Geocichla cilrina.


By Hubert D. Astley, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


Although, as I reported in a previous number of the

Magazine, my Orange-headed Ground Thrushes were unsuccess¬

ful in rearing to maturity the three youngsters that they hatched

in June, I am able now to give a more favourable account, for

one young bird of the second brood has been successfully brought

up. The parent birds set to work immediately after the loss of

their first family to repair the old nest, which I find was firmly

plastered on to the shelf of a nesting box, and made after the

foundation of wet earth had been placed, of moss and fine bents,

forming inside a neat cup.


A good supply of ants’ eggs, wasps’ grubs and cockroaches

enabled the Thrushes to rear their young.


Whether the bird is a male or female I cannot yet tell. In

colour, the upper part of the head and shoulders is a dark cin¬

namon brown, the wings, etc., a much deeper brown, the wing-

coverts having straw-coloured spots at the end of each feather,

forming two bars of that colour across each wing. The cheeks

are fawn-coloured with some darker colour intermixed, and the

throat and whole under surface is also fawn, with an indistinct

band of dusky brown across the breast.


It is quite easy to tell the adult male from the female;

for in the former, when in proper colour and condition, the

cinnamon-orange of the head and underparts is decidedly richer

and the grey of the back is much purer, for in the female the

back is greenish-grey, and the colour of the head certainly paler.


Iu my former notes, I described the eggs which I saw in

the nest before the first brood was hatched.


These Thrushes are fine songsters, but like other birds,

seem to vary in vocal powers amongst individuals.


I fancy that this is the first time that they have been bred

in England.



