Samoan island thrush

The Samoan island thrush (Turdus samoensis) is a species of passerine bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is endemic to the Samoan Islands, which includes Samoa and American Samoa. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the island thrush, but in 2024 the island thrush complex was split into 17 different species by the IOC and Clements checklist based on morphological and phylogenic differences.^[1][2]

Samoan island thrush
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Turdidae
Genus:	Turdus
Species:	T. samoensis
Binomial name
Turdus samoensis Tristram, 1879

Taxonomy

The Samoan island thrush was first described by clergyman and zoological collector Henry Baker Tristram in 1879 as Turdus samoensis.^[3] For a long time afterwards it was considered a subspecies of island thrush. However following a phylogenetic study in 2023, and with consideration to morphological differences between subspecies, the Samoan island thrush is now treated as a distinct species.^[4] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.^[5]