FEATURED PHOTO 
JUVENAL PLUMAGE OF THE AZTEC THRUSH 
KURT A. RADAMAKER, 16313 E. Crystal Point Dr., Fountain Hills, Arizona 85268; 
kurtrad@att.net 
The monotypic Aztec Thrush ( Ridgwayia pinicola ) is endemic to Mexico (Howell 
and Webb 1995). It ranges from the mountains of central Chihuahua and Coahuila 
south to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, favoring Madrean pine-oak woodland (Conser- 
vation International 2008) and pine forest from 1800 to 3500 m elevation (Howell 
and Webb 1995). Outside Mexico, it is casual in southeastern Arizona and southern 
Texas (AOU 1998). The secretive nature, irregular distribution, and nomadic habits 
of the Aztec Thrush make it difficult to study, leading to some uncertainty about its 
true status over much of its range. Also, little is known about its demography and life 
history; for example, the nests, eggs, and fledglings have rarely been observed. 
On 1 September 2007 David Powell and I observed a recently fledged Aztec Thrush 
(see the photos featured on this issue’s back cover), along with an adult female. They 
were in a steep-walled ravine in Madrean pine-oak woodland with a small flowing 
creek, located off a cobblestone road above the restaurant and lodging at km 266 
along Mexico Highway 16 at Mesa del Campanero, about 20 km west of the town 
of Yecora. This area is in a rugged region of the Sierra Oscura along the southern 
Chihuahua/Sonora border, surrounded by deep forested canyons (barrancas) typical 
of the higher reaches of the Sierra Madre Occidental. As we approached the ravine 
we flushed the birds from a large oak and noted the adult female carrying food. The 
juvenile, with only a partially grown tail (see top photo featured on this issue’s back 
cover), alighted nearby and allowed close approach, while the adult female was wary 
and kept mostly hidden. The adult stayed nearby and responded to pishing and 
mimicking of owl whistles by giving a raspy high-pitched “skree” call several times. 
The call was reminiscent of a Spotted Towhee ( Pipilo maculatus) “shree” but higher 
pitched. The juvenile remained silent. 
The juvenal plumage of the Aztec Thrush has rarely been photographed, is seldom 
depicted in field guides, and is infrequently encountered in the field. Outside of Mexico 
there is only one documented occurrence of a juvenile, of a bird photographed on 
21 August 1977 at Boot Canyon, Big Bend National Park, Texas. Remarkably, that 
bird provided the first record for the United States (Wolf 1978). The juvenal plumage 
is quite different from the striking black and white of the adult and may offer some 
identification challenges. The overall ochraceous-buff appearance — combined with the 
heavily spotted/scaly breast and underparts, a characteristic shared with other juvenal- 
plumaged thrushes — could cause confusion, possibly with the juvenile Rufous-backed 
Robin ( Turdus rufopalliatus) or American Robin (T. migratorius). 
While there is potential for misidentifi cation, with clear looks the identification is 
uncomplicated. Even with the noticeable differences from the adult in the contour 
feathers, on the bird we saw at Mesa del Campanero the black wings with contrasting 
white markings on the secondaries and primaries produced a subtle but clear resem- 
blance to the adult. The resemblance was especially noticeable in flight. The color of 
the upperparts was sooty blackish brown with prominent ochraceous-buff streaking 
on the face, crown, nape, back, scapulars, and wing coverts. The coarse streaking 
on the crown formed a conspicuous supercilium, and the broad wedge-shaped spots 
of buff on the tips of the greater wing coverts formed a wide but broken lower wing 
bar. The breast and underparts were buff and heavily scalloped with black. The broad 
black margins to the feathers of the breast and underparts produced prominent spots. 
The eye was dark brown, the bill black, and the legs pink. 
Western Birds 40:247-249, 2009 
247 
