Systematics

Three subspecies usually recognized:

differens, described as Merula plebeia differens (Nelson 1901); type locality Pinabete, Chiapas, Mexico.

Occurs in southeastern Mexico and Guatemala.

Similar to nominate plebejus, but "larger, coloration much browner and throat practically unstreaked and concolor with chest" (Ridgway 1907: 123).

rafaelensis, described as Turdus plebejus rafaelensis Miller and Griscom 1925; type locality San Rafael del Norte, Nicaragua

Occurs in Nicaragua and Honduras. This subspecies is merged with differens by some authors (Hellmayr 1934, Monroe 1968, Martínez-Sánchez and Will 2010), but is maintained by Ripley (1964) and Phillips (1991).

Intermediate between differens and nominate plebejus; "dark hair-brown above instead of olivaceous hair-brown or warm sepia; streaking of throat less developed than in plebejus, absent in differens; less gray below than plebejus, but lacking the raw umber tints of differens; under tail-coverts decidedly buffier than in plebejus, similar to differens; bill brownish as in differens; much smaller than either" (Miller and Griscom 1925).

plebejus, described as Turdus plebejus Cabanis 1861; type locality Costa Rica.

Occurs in Costa Rica and western Panama.

See Detailed Description.

Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data from several mitochondrial genes identifies four major clades within Turdus: a primarily South American clade, a Eurasian clade, an African clade, and a Central American/Caribbean clade (Voelker et al. 2007). The phylogenetic relationships of Turdus plebejus, however, are unresolved; this species, as well as Turdus lherminieri (Forest Thrush), appears to lie near the base of the divergence between the South American and Eurasian clades (Voelker et al. 2007).