- Catharus minimus
Identification
6 1/2 -8" (17-20 cm)
- Dull olive-brown
- Pale, spotted underparts (no rust color in plumage)
- Sides of face tinged with gray
Similar Species
Very similar to Bicknell's Thrush but in most areas only Gray-cheeked Thrush is present, whether in migration or in its breeding range. Usually slightly larger than Bicknell's Thrush with a less reddish tail.
Distribution
Breeds in Northern Canada and Alaska. During migration can be found over most of Canada and the United States.
Winters in northern South America. Rare along Pacific coast.
Rare but regular vagrant to Great Britain (45+ records).
Taxonomy
Bicknell's Thrush was considered conspecific with this species until recently.
Subspecies
This is a polytypic species consisting of two subspecies1:
- C. m. aliciae - breeds south-eastern Canada (Newfoundland); winters to West Indies
- C. m. minimus - breeds north-eastern Siberia and Canada; winters to northern South America
Habitat
Spruce forests near bog areas in subarctic Canada.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists of invertebrates such as beetles and appears to be supplemented by fruit and other vegetable matter.
Breeding
The cup-shaped nest is built from grass and mud, placed in the low conifer. The clutch consists of 3-5 pale blue-green eggs, with fine brown speckles.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved October 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Gray-cheeked Thrush. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Gray-cheeked_Thrush
