Rosy Thrush-Tanager Rhodinocichla rosea

Rosy Thrush-Tanager occurs in low, dense forest, or tall scrub, often near the sea coast. It possesses simple yet beautiful plumage, a rich song (often delivered as a duet), and a curiously disjunct distribution with populations in western Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela. As its name implies, it is shaped like a thrush (Turdus sp.) or perhaps a thrasher (Toxostoma sp.), with a slender, decurved bill, a long tail, and long legs that suggest terrestrial habits. Males are dark gray above and on the lower belly with raspberry red lores, neck, breast, and vent. The post-ocular stripe is pale pink. The female is similar but the red is replaced by orange. Although large and loud with a fluty song, Rosy Thrush-Tanager can be a frustratingly difficult bird to see in the dense low foliage it inhabits.