Turdus grayi
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The clay-colored thrush (Turdus grayi) is a common Middle American bird of the thrush family (Turdidae). It is the national bird of Costa Rica, where it is well known as the yigüirro (Spanish: [ʝi'ɣwiro]). Other common names include clay-colored robin.
It ranges from South Texas (where it is rapidly expanding its range) to northern Colombia. West and north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it is limited to the Atlantic slope, except for a population around Oaxaca City, Mexico that probably originates from escaped cage birds. In much of its range it is familiar in yards and gardens, similar to some other thrushes such as the American robin, the Eurasian blackbird, and the song thrush.
In general appearance and habits it resembles other Turdus thrushes such as the American robin. It is about the same length or slightly smaller: 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in), and weighs 74–76 g (2.6–2.7 oz) on average. The plumage is brownish, somewhat lighter below than above, lightest on the flanks. Birds from humid regions are darker than those from dry regions. The throat is faintly streaked. Immature birds have faint mottling on the back and underparts. The... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 4 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 5 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 6 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 7 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 9 | Barranquilla | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xcaret | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Clay-colored Thrush sighting in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 198 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 28th most-seen of the 182 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Clay-colored Thrush in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against about 20% in February and August–September, the lowest months. That is one of Ostional Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 560 mm of rain against 15 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Clay-colored Thrush sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
40th of 53
Of the 53 parks where we can rate Clay-colored Thrush sightings, Ostional Wildlife Refuge ranks 40th at about 30%. The best odds are in Masaya Volcano National Park (Nicaragua, about 90%), Poás Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%) and Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park (Honduras, about 80%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Clay-colored Thrush that you can see in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Great Kiskadee (about 70%), Rufous-backed Wren (about 70%) and Great-tailed Grackle (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Clay-colored Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (198 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
