Distribution Breeding: From southeastern British Columbia, central Alberta and Saskatchewan, southern Ontario, southern Quebec, southwestern Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia, south through the northeastern United States to northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, northern Ohio, northern Indiana, northeastern Illinois, northeastern Iowa, and the northeastern corner of South Dakota. In the West, south to central Oregon, northeastern Nevada, northern Utah, and south-central Colorado. Also breeds at higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains from western Maryland south to northern Georgia and southeastern Kentucky. Winter: South America; true winter distribution poorly known, may be restricted to southwestern Brazil and possibly northern Bolivia.

Breeding habitat

Inhabits damp, deciduous forest and riparian habitats, generally younger stands and second-growth areas with an open canopy and dense understory. They are especially fond of hemlocks in the Appalachian regions, whereas western Veeries favor dense willows and alders near water. Habitat selection may depend on the presence of other thrush species in their breeding range. The Veery may breed in mixed conifer-hardwood forest in areas where it overlaps with the Swainson's Thrush or Wood Thrush.

Conservation status

The Veery is of moderate conservation importance, primarily because of its declining population trends in much of its range (30% decline overall since 1966) and its vulnerability as a long-distance migrant wintering in tropical forests of South America. Fortunately it is still a very common species in most of its Eastern range, where it also seems tolerant of some forest disturbance. In the West, this species is indicative of healthy riparian forests. Understanding how habitat requirements and sensitivity to fragmentation varies over its large range will be important for conserving future populations.

Description

Male: Uniform reddish-brown above with an indistinct eye ring, gray cheeks and flanks. Differs from the other thrushes by its redder back, buffy-brown or orangish tone to breast, and lighter spotting on throat and breast. The western form has a more olive back and slightly more spotting on breast; Newfoundland birds are also less reddish above with more heavy spotting below.

Female: Same as male.

Juvenile: Looks like the adult, but has feathers on the upperparts with buffy tips giving an overall spotted appearance. Wing coverts are edged with tawny-olive. Underparts are like adult, but tinged with tawny-olive with faint barring on breast and sides.

Vocalizations

Song: Consists of a slurred series of downward inflected notes. Each note gets progressively lower in pitch, creating the sensation of spiraling or cascading down the scale. Some songs may begin with a simple, non-inflected note and end with a rolling note. The song varies less than the songs of other forest thrushes, but has an ethereal quality that makes it unique.

Calls: The call notes of the Veery are generally lower-pitched than those of other thrushes. The most common call, which is used in a hostile situation, is a downward inflected vee-ur or veee-oo. They also have a jerk or njernt call.

Foraging strategy

Forages mostly on the ground by turning over leaves with bill. Sometimes searches for prey from a perch, such as a low branch in a shrub or tree or from a rock generally close to water. Swoops to the ground and grabs prey when sighted. Also, to a lesser extent, gleans or plucks fruit from the foliage. Young are fed insects.

Diet

Eats beetles, caterpillars, spiders, centipedes, snails, pill bugs, ants, wasps, and tupulid flies. In the fall and winter eats more fruit-spicebush, strawberries, juneberries, honeysuckle, blackberries, wild cherries, sumac, and blueberries.

Behavior and displays

• Sings from a concealed perch in the lower canopy or understory, otherwise usually seen on the ground.

• In conflict situations the bird holds its body in an erect posture, also may flick its wings and tail.

• In high conflict situations, usually between two males fighting over a territory, the males will raise their bills and then snap them forward at one another. Males will also chase other intruding birds from their territories.

Courtship

• The male pursues the female in flight around his territory, becoming less aggressive as the pair bond becomes stronger.