The black-billed nightingale-thrush is a small thrush endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama. Its position in the genus Catharus is somewhat equivocal, but it is apparently closer to the hermit thrush than to the other nightingale-thrushes except the russet nightingale-thrush and/or the ruddy-capped nightingale-thrush.
Region
Central American Highlands
Typical Environment
Occurs in the montane cloud forests and elfin forests of Costa Rica and western Panama. It favors dense, mossy understory, forest edges, and areas along streams, often with thickets of Chusquea bamboo. The species also uses second-growth montane woodland and shaded trails where leaf litter accumulates. It typically remains near the ground or in low shrubs while foraging.
Altitude Range
1350–3300 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small thrush is confined to the high-elevation cloud forests of Costa Rica and western Panama, where it often forages along shaded trails and stream edges. Its all-dark bill is a key field mark among nightingale-thrushes. Vocalizations are clear, fluty phrases reminiscent of the Hermit Thrush, to which it is thought to be closely related. It can be surprisingly tame in well-traveled montane forests.
Temperament
skulking but relatively approachable
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Builds a cup nest low in shrubs or banks, often near water or along trails. Both parents are believed to participate in feeding the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, fluty phrases with mellow, ethereal quality, carrying well in damp montane forests. Calls include soft, metallic chips and thin tsip notes given from dense cover.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with a gray head and breast, grading to paler gray or whitish on the belly and undertail coverts. Feathering is smooth and plain, with minimal streaking. A fine, broken whitish eye ring contrasts with the dusky face.
Diet
Feeds on insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates gleaned from leaf litter and low vegetation. Also consumes small fruits and berries, especially when invertebrates are less available. It frequently flips leaves and probes mossy substrates to locate hidden prey. Occasionally takes small worms or larvae along stream margins.
Preferred Environment
Forages on or near the ground in dense understory of cloud forest, along shaded trails, and near forest streams. Often uses bamboo and mossy thickets for cover while feeding. Will venture to forest edges and semi-open montane second growth if dense cover is nearby.
