It has a narrower eyering and is only found in forest and woodland in western Ecuador and northwestern Peru.

It has a prominent yellow eye ring which gives rise to its English and scientific names.

Sexes are similar, but young birds are flecked above and spotted below, and have a thinner eye ring.

The song is a musical warble, slower and lower pitched than that of the cocoa thrush (T. fumigatus), and it also produces a cat-like queeoow call and, when uncomfortable, emits a kereel.

The habitat of this large thrush is open woodland, forest clearings and cultivation.