Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus mexicanus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush

Catharus mexicanus (Bonaparte, 1856)

15–16 cmLength33 gWeight

The black-headed nightingale-thrush (Catharus mexicanus) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae, the thrushes and allies.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: March · Most records: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala

Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush has been recorded at 55 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Arenal Observatory LodgeCosta Rica2,527 records
  2. Curi-Cancha Refugio de Vida SilvestreCosta Rica2,328 records
  3. RNP Ranchitos del QuetzalGuatemala1,212 records
More places
  1. Reserva El CopalCosta Rica932 records
  2. San Luis CanopyCosta Rica915 records
  3. Sky Adventures - Arenal ParkCosta Rica891 records
  4. Arenal MisticoparkCosta Rica857 records
  5. Reserva El JaguarNicaragua612 records
  6. Bosque Eterno de Los Niños – Poco SolCosta Rica547 records
  7. PN Braulio Carrillo – Quebrada GonzálezCosta Rica480 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Costa RicaNicaraguaGuatemalaHondurasMexico

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-headed nightingale-thrush (Catharus mexicanus) is a species of bird in the family Turdidae, the thrushes and allies. It is found in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in Texas.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush?

The Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush is about 15–16 cm long and weighs around 33 g.

Where does the Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: east-central Mexico to Panama. It is most often recorded in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

When is the best time to see the Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush as Least Concern.

What does the Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush in?

It belongs to the family Thrushes (Turdidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
15–16 cm
Weight
33 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
89 mm
Tail
63 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
30 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America: east-central Mexico to Panama

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Thrushes Turdidae
Genus
Catharus

Other birds in the genus Catharus

Yellow-throated Nightingale-ThrushYellow-throated Nightingale-ThrushCatharus dryasSpeckled Nightingale-ThrushSpeckled Nightingale-ThrushCatharus maculatusOrange-billed Nightingale-ThrushOrange-billed Nightingale-ThrushCatharus aurantiirostrisSlaty-backed Nightingale-ThrushSlaty-backed Nightingale-ThrushCatharus fuscaterSwainson's ThrushSwainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatusBlack-billed Nightingale-ThrushBlack-billed Nightingale-ThrushCatharus gracilirostrisHermit ThrushHermit ThrushCatharus guttatusRusset Nightingale-ThrushRusset Nightingale-ThrushCatharus occidentalisRuddy-capped Nightingale-ThrushRuddy-capped Nightingale-ThrushCatharus frantziiGrey-cheeked ThrushGrey-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimusBicknell's ThrushBicknell's ThrushCatharus bicknelliVeeryVeeryCatharus fuscescens
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Michael Woodruff. ↗

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