Northern Waterthrush

Seiurus noveboracensis

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family PARULIDAE

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A bird of northern forests, the Northern Waterthrush sings it loud, ringing song from wooded swamps and bogs. It can be seen on migration bobbing its tail near wet spots in parks or back yards.

Cool Facts

• The Northern Waterthrush is territorial in both winter and summer. On the breeding grounds the male proclaims its territory with its loud, ringing song. On the wintering grounds it uses its "chink" calls, together with chasing and fighting, to keep out intruders.
• The Louisiana and Northern waterthrushes are very similar species whose breeding ranges overlap slightly. Their songs and their habitats, while similar, differ significantly. The pitch of the beginning notes of the Louisiana's song usually descend, just as does the hilly stream that is its preferred habitat. The Northern Waterthrush prefers bogs and waters that are flat, just as its beginning notes stay on the same pitch.

Description

• Size: 12-14 cm (5-6 in)
• Wingspan: 21-24 cm (8-9 in)
• Weight: 13-25 g (0.46-0.88 ounces)

• Small songbird.
• Brown back.
• Whitish or creamy underside with dark stripes.
• Whitish or yellowish eyestripe.
• Constantly bobs its tail.

• Small spots on throat.
• Flanks white or whitish.
• Bill dark and thin, but large for a warbler.
• Eyes dark.
• Legs brown or pinkish brown.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Immature

Immature similar to adult.

Similar Species

• Very similar to Louisiana Waterthrush. Louisiana usually has an unstriped throat, a slightly larger bill, a broader white eyestripe that extends back onto the nape, brighter pink legs, and more whitish underparts.
• Ovenbird is more olive on back, is whiter underneath, has a white eyering, and orange and black crown stripes.
• Thrushes are spotted, not streaked, on the chest.

Sound

Song loud and ringing, starts with several phrases on one pitch, followed by an accelerating jumble of short, rapid phrases dropping slightly in pitch. Call a sharp, metallic "chink."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from Alaska to Newfoundland, southward to northern United States.

Winter Range

Winters from southern Florida and Mexico southward to South America.

Habitat

Breeds in thickets near slow-moving streams, ponds, swamps, and bogs; in migration and winter, uses a variety of wooded habitats, generally near water, often in mangroves.

Food

Insects. Also other arthropods, snails, and occasionally small fish.

Behavior

Foraging

Feeds mainly on ground, wades in shallow water.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Open cup of moss and leaves, lined with fine plant stems, rootlets, hair, and moss. May construct entranceway of whole dead leaves. Nest placed in small hollow or cavity under fallen log, or within roots of an upturned tree.

Egg Description

White with dark spots and scrawls concentrated around large end.

Clutch Size

1-6 eggs.

Young

Helpless with tufts of dark blackish down.

Conservation Status

Common and widespread.

Other Names

Paruline des ruisseaux (French)
Verdin charquero (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Eaton, S. W. 1995. Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 182 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists? Union, Washington, D.C.