# Spotted ground thrush

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{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Spotted Ground Thrush.jpg
| image_caption = ''Zoothera guttata'' from [Dlinza Forest](/source/Dlinza_Forest), South Africa
| status = VU
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2021 |title=''Geokichla guttata'' |volume=2021 |article-number=e.T22708464A180490672 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22708464A180490672.en |access-date=1 January 2022}}</ref>
| genus = Geokichla
| species = guttata
| authority = ([Vigors](/source/Nicholas_Aylward_Vigors), 1831)
| synonyms = ''Zoothera guttata''}}

The '''spotted ground thrush''' ('''''Geokichla guttata''''') is a species of [bird](/source/bird) in the family [Turdidae](/source/Turdidae). It is found in the [Democratic Republic of the Congo](/source/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo), [Kenya](/source/Kenya), [Malawi](/source/Malawi), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa), [Sudan](/source/Sudan), [Tanzania](/source/Tanzania), and possibly [Mozambique](/source/Mozambique).

==Description==
These birds are about 23&nbsp;cm in length, with brown upper parts and white to off-white lower parts which are darkly spotted.

==Habitat==
Its natural [habitat](/source/habitat)s are [subtropical or tropical dry forest](/source/subtropical_or_tropical_dry_forest), [subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest](/source/subtropical_or_tropical_moist_lowland_forest), subtropical or tropical moist [montane forest](/source/montane_forest), and [subtropical or tropical moist shrubland](/source/subtropical_or_tropical_moist_shrubland). It is threatened by [habitat loss](/source/habitat_loss).

==Biology and behaviour==
The spotted ground thrush spends much of its time in leaf-litter on the forest floor where it flicks through the leaves in search of small [invertebrates](/source/invertebrates), and despite its distinctive colouration, it is often difficult to see.<ref>M. Purves, 2010</ref>

In [KwaZulu-Natal](/source/KwaZulu-Natal), South Africa, the birds have distinctive winter and summer ranges. In winter these birds spend their time in remnant coastal forests, and in summer they move to forests further inland.

The birds lay bluish-coloured eggs in a cup-shaped nest.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/grzimek_birds/Turdidae/Zoothera_guttata.jpg/view.html Image at ADW]
*[http://sabap2.adu.org.za/image_sabap_map_create.php?Spp=558 Distribution in South Africa (red and yellow blocks)]
* Spotted ground thrush - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/578.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds].

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3115221}}

spotted ground thrush
Category:Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
spotted ground thrush
Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot

{{Turdidae-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Spotted ground thrush](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_ground_thrush) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_ground_thrush?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.