Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family TURDIDAE

Menu

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

The Swainson's Thrush is distinguished from the other spotted thrushes by its obvious eyering and buffy face.

Cool Facts

• The "russet-backed" Pacific population has more reddish plumage and a slightly different song than the "olive-backed" birds in the rest of the range. The russet-backed birds winter in Central America while the olive-backed ones winter in South America.

• The Swainson's Thrush is the only woodland thrush whose song goes up in pitch.

Description

• Size: 16-19 cm (6-7 in)
• Wingspan: 29-31 cm (11-12 in)
• Weight: 23-45 g (0.81-1.59 ounces)

• Medium-sized thrush.
• Back olive-brown.
• Dark spots on chest.
• Distinct buffy eyering and buffy face.

• Buffy wash across upper breast.
• White underparts with black spots on chest, fading onto belly.
• Pacific Coast birds redder on back, thinner eyering.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Immature

Like adult.

Similar Species

• Hermit Thrush has eyering, but it is white, not buffy, lacks the buffy face, and has a rufous tail contrasting with the browner back.
• Western form of Veery similar to western Swainson's, but has less buffy on face, more reddish in wings, and gray, not olive or rufous flanks.

Sound

Song flute-like, spiraling upward. Call a sharp "whit;" also a hollow "peep." Nocturnal flight call a "peep" similar to a single note from a spring peeper frog.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from interior Alaska throughout most of Canada, southward to northern states in East, and through mountains in West and along Pacific Coast.

Winter Range

Mexico and South America.

Habitat

• Breeds primarily in coniferous forests, especially spruce and fir. Also in riparian woodlands in California.
• Winters in mature tropical forest and secondary forest.

Food

Berries and insects.

Behavior

Foraging

Forages near ground, but higher in understory than other thrushes. Occasionally fly-catches. In winter follows army ant swarms.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nests in shrubs in forest understory. Nest an open cup of grasses, plant stems, moss, and small twigs, lined with skeletonized leaves, rootlets, lichens, or moss.

Egg Description

Blue to greenish blue with reddish or brown speckles.

Clutch Size

Usually 4 eggs. Range: 1-5.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless with some sparse down.

Conservation Status

Not listed nationally; populations appear to be declining.

Other Names

Grive à dos olive (French)
Zorzal de Swainson (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Mack, D. E., and W. Yong. 2000. Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus). In The Birds of North America, No. 540 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.