Unknown Thrush(?) - Maine, USA (1 Viewer)

[Merg]

Seen perched in a small clump of pines at the back edge of a cemetary. Inland. 700ft elev.

3 photos at normal size, and one zoomed in an attempt to show a little more of the coloration...

 

[Jane Turner]

My best guess is Veery - seems like people are running away from this one!

I can't quite rule out Hermit thrush - especially as it seems to be a bit of a tail cocker.

Its certainly one of the two, alas my experience of the pair is limited!

 

[Merg]

Thanks Jane Admittedly the photos are poor, I was so far away, and only with a 200mm...

My first guess was Hermit because of the tail, too, but I wasn't sure enough to list it.

Curious, as in either case, it would be a lifer for me...what makes you think Veery over Hermit Thrush?

 

[Jane Turner]

The upper breast looks relatively plain in the pictures... though that might be down to "soft focus". Also the whole upperparts look warm reddish brown, as opposed to a contrasty reddish tail. However if it was cocking and dropping it tail all the time in the field, the odds are its a Hermit.

 

[The Falcon]

I would say wood thrush cause of the red tone, but i wouldn't rule out hermit thrush ether. You have to have better pictures to make a positive ID.

 

[Jane Turner]

Pretty sure that the spotting on a Wood Thrush would be resolved in the photos.

 

[Merg]

Thank you, Jane. It was definitely cocking its tail.

 

[Jane Turner]

Well on my experience of 1 hermit and 1 veery - which is clearly not enough to be exhaustive, the Hermit thrush never stopped cocking and lowering its tail. I'd go with what you saw in the field!

 

[Merg]

I'm still novice-enough that I often don't trust a good deal of what I see in the field unless I have a photo to back it up (especially firsts). In this case I wasn't sure at all, and only had poor photos to check on when I got home.

 

[Jane Turner]

Hermit
http://www.hwcn.org/link/hmm/hermitthrush.JPG

http://www.bird-friends.com/pics/HermitThrush/HermitThrush1LR.jpg

http://www.schmoker.org/BirdPics/Photos/Thrushes/HETH6.jpg



Veery
http://www.charliesbirdblog.com/~charlie/peleemay05/veery_01VF.jpg

http://www.mobirds.org/Galleries/images/Terpstra/Veery 4x6 CR 5-17-06=2052-9584.jpg

http://pie.midco.net/dougback/miscphotos/veery2.jpg

 

[Microtus]

I'm thinking that it's a Hermit Thrush. I think the spots on the throat are too strong for Veery. Plus, the bird was cocking its tail.

 

[danehower]

I am going to guess Hermit or Swainson's based on location and the fact that it is perched near a coniferous tree. I know that is a pretty lame way to make an ID - but that is my call :smoke: B

 

[prairiemerlin]

Hermit - a Veery would show much less spotting on the breast. I can also make out some rufous tones on the tail and wings. The tail cocking also points to Hermit Thrush.

neil g.

 

[AmpelisChinito]

I say Hermit also. Note the dark spots on the breast- noticeably black. Swainson's would not be that brownish red.

 

[birderbf]

Most of the points have been covered already, but I'm 100% in the Hermit camp. Veery have such light spotting that it probably would appear as a gray wash over the upper breast at that distance. The very warm color points to either Hermit or Veery (eastern Swainson and Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's would seem grayer and colder) and Wood can be eliminated by lack of overpowering dark spots. looks good for Hermit to me.

 

[BirdPhotography]

This bird got's to many spots for a veery. It's a hermit thrush and wood thrush's would have more spots.

 

[Jane Turner]

Do Hermit thrushes often show this much rufous on the coverts and mantle etc- (as opposed to just remiges and retrices) or is that a photographic effect? I also wonder how much of the apparent upper breast spotting is real, or ruffled feathers.. Also is it usual for Hermits to have such white underparts - I associate them with quite a grey cast.

Still I'm a great believer in field observations.. anyone seen a Veery tail cock loads?

 

[Dave Hall]

Hi Rufous above and lack of spots on the flanks make me think this is a Veery

 

[birderbf]

This is an interesting angle allright. Here's what I think: the reddish cast would point to Veery, although it isn't out of range for a Hermit. The pumping of tail is good for Hermit, as is the stocky body. The red doesn't seem as even as I'd expect on Veery (again, not impossible for Veery though) but what really has me saying Hermit is still the spots. Veery has a finely and lightly spotted breast, and this bird seems to have few spots, but very dark ones. Although I seem to have lost a photo of it, I once saw a Hermit Thrush feeding young that had very few spots, possibly due to molt, I do not remember.

 

[Chris Benesh]

Hi All,

I'm 100% in the Catharus thrush camp here. :t:

Oh, what species is it? Hmm, that's a bit trickier for me. Catharus thrushes are sometimes hard for me even when I'm having a good look at them, and I get to see a lot of every North American variety. Now here it's worse since we are debating some blurry, low resolution images. The short answer is I'm not sure from what I can see. I'll throw out a hunch in a moment, but first I wanted to clear up the misconception that Hermit Thrush is the only thrush that cocks its tail. One has to look no further than the first two Veery links posted by Jane to see that this is not the case. The birds in both have their tails cocked. Here they are again:

http://www.charliesbirdblog.com/~charlie/peleemay05/veery_01VF.jpg
http://www.mobirds.org/Galleries/images/Terpstra/Veery 4x6 CR 5-17-06=2052-9584.jpg

What does more reliably differentiate Hermit Thrushes is the manner in which they cock their tails in combination with flicking their wings, unlike the general behavior of the other Catharus thrushes. Even this is probably not entirely diagnostic, but rather suggestive.

What looks somewhat Veery like to me in the images is that the face looks very plain, the upperparts seem rather bright tawny, the sides of the breast appear warm toned and contrast with the cooler tones of the flanks. Veeries have the warmest tones to the breast of any North American Catharus. In combination, these are all suggestive of Veery, so I guess that's where I lean. On the other hand, in one shot, the head looks somewhat contrastingly dull compared with the rest of the upperparts, unlike a Veery. I'm maybe 51% Veery.

Here's to not adding much to the debate! B

Chris