Turdus olivaceus
Olive Thrushes are usually seen singly or in pairs, searching for worms, insects and other invertebrates (and occasionally fruit) on the floor of indigenous woodlands and forests and increasingly in well-planted parks and gardens. Adults weigh around 65g and measure about 23cm in length.
Olive Thrushes breed throughout the year, though there appears to be a peak in nesting during spring and early summer. Pairs are monogamous and territorial. Females build cup-shaped nests high up in trees and shrubs and incubate the clutch of 1-3 eggs over a two week period. The chicks grow quickly and leave the nest when they’re around 16 days old, but they will remain with their parents for up to two months.
Olive Thrushes occur patchily in Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa (Western Cape to escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo). The IUCN regards it to be of least concern. The Karoo Thrush was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Olive Thrush and it is possible that the two species may interbreed on occasion.
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