NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Groundscraper Thrush
Turdus litsitsirupa (A. Smith, 1836)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The groundscraper thrush (Turdus litsitsirupa) is a passerine bird of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the thrush family, Turdidae. It was previously considered the only member of the genus Psophocichla, but phylogenetic analysis supports it belonging in the genus Turdus, where it forms a sister group to the remaining Turdus species. It is 22–24 centimetres (8.7–9.4 in) long with an erect posture, short tail, heavy bill and fairly long legs. The upperparts are plain grey-brown with a chestnut wing-panel. The underparts are white with black spots and the face is white with bold black markings. The underwing has a black and white pattern which is visible during the undulating flight. The bird has a slow whistled song and a clicking call. There are three subspecies; T. l. litsitsirupa is the most southerly form, occurring from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique south to northern and eastern parts of South Africa. T. l. pauciguttata is found in southern Angola, northern Namibia and north-west Botswana, while T. l.
Wikipedia contributors, Groundscraper thrush; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:43:52.910064+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Turdus litsitsirupa (A. Smith, 1836)
- Name authority
- (A. Smith, 1836)
- Common name
- Groundscraper Thrush
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Turdidae
- Genus
- Turdus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyTurdidae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusTurdus Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesTurdus litsitsirupa (A. Smith, 1836)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Turdus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| White-necked ThrushTurdus albicollis Vieillot, 1818 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Creamy-bellied ThrushTurdus amaurochalinus Cabanis, 1851 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-throated RobinTurdus assimilis Cabanis, 1851 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-throated ThrushTurdus atrogularis Jarocki, 1819 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Comoro ThrushTurdus bewsheri E. Newton, 1877 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dusky ThrushTurdus eunomus Temminck, 1831 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Grey-sided ThrushTurdus feae (Salvadori, 1887) | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-legged ThrushTurdus flavipes Vieillot, 1818 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cocoa ThrushTurdus fumigatus M. H. C. Lichtenstein, 1823 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Clay-colored RobinTurdus grayi Bonaparte, 1838 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Grey-backed ThrushTurdus hortulorum P. L. Sclater, 1863 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-eyed ThrushTurdus jamaicensis J. F. Gmelin, 1789 | TurdidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Merula litsitsirupa A. Smith, 1836 A. Smith, 1836 | synonym |
| Psophocichla litsipsirupa (A. Smith, 1836) (A. Smith, 1836) | synonym |
| Psophocichla litsitsirupa (A. Smith, 1836) (A. Smith, 1836) | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1276805 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:TLSXL. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.