From Opus

Photo by Forcreeks
Milwaukie, Oregon, November 2003

Catharus guttatus

[edit] Identification

Small. As on other Catharus thrushes, underwing has white dark white pattern. Breast only sparsely and sparingly spotted, but spots are large. Flanks usually entirely unspotted. Grey-brown above, with rusty-red tone to rump and tail (like Nightingale, but is slightly bigger, more compact and shorter-tailed than that species, besides other plumage differences). White eye-ring.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds in southern Alaska and across Canada to Newfoundland, south to California in the west and Maryland in the east.

Leaves breeding areas late September-early November and winters from the southern part of the breeding range south to Central America, returning in early April-May.

In the Western Palearctic recorded in Iceland, the British Isles, Sweden and Germany, as well as 3 old records from Luxembourg. British records mainly on Shetland and Scilly in October but also recorded in spring.

[edit] Taxonomy

Polytypic. Consists of 9 subspecies (although more are recognized by other authorities).

[edit] Subspecies¹

• C. g. auduboni - breeds in Rocky Mountains of south-western US to New Mexico; winters to Guatemala
• C. g. crymophilus - breeds in Newfoundland; winters to south-eastern US
• C. g. faxoni - breeds in the Yukon and northern Canada to eastern US; winters to Florida
• C. g. guttatus - breeds in the Alaskan Peninsula to south-western Canada; winters to central Mexico
• C. g. nanus - breeds Coastal south-eastern Alaska and western British Columbia; winters to Baja California
• C. g. polionotus - breeds Eastern Washington to east-central California, Nevada and south-western Utah
• C. g. sequoiensis - breeds Sierra Nevada of California and western Nevada; winters to northern Mexico
• C. g. slevini - breeds Washington and Oregon to central California; winters to north-western Mexico
• C. g. vaccinius - breeds Vancouver Island; winters to coastal central California

A study shows genetic divisions within this species possibly indicating a future split.

[edit] Habitat

Coniferous and mixed forest from wet lowlands to 300m in mountains. In winter often in drier situations, also gardens and town parks.

[edit] Behaviour

Often jerks tail upwards and slowly lowers it.

[edit] Voice

A very musical sound that is one of the most beautiful bird sounds in the world. Sounds like an unknown musical instrument.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Paper describing genetic findings with this species

• List of references

[edit] External Links