Varied Thrush
Encyclopedia
The Varied Thrush is a member of the thrush
family Turdidae.
It breeds in western North America
from Alaska
to northern California
. It is migratory
, with northern breeders moving south within or somewhat beyond the breeding range. Other populations may only move altitudinally.
This species is an improbable transatlantic migrant, but there is an accepted western Europe
an record in Great Britain
in 1982.
The breeding habitat is dense coniferous forest, with two to five eggs being laid in a tree nest. It mainly feeds near the ground, foraging for invertebrates, but also eats berries and some seeds.
The male Varied Thrush is a striking bird, and is virtually unmistakable. It is smaller than an American Robin
and dark blue-gray above. It has bright orange wing bars, throat, lateral head stripe and underparts. There is a black breast band and facemask. The song is eerie and melancholic.
Female and juvenile birds are browner above and the orange is more subdued. The breast band and facemask are a blotchy brown.
There is an extremely rare variant of this species in which all the orange in the plumage is replaced by white. Interestingly, despite the scarcity of this form, the British vagrant mentioned above was of this type, leading to speculation that whatever mutation causes the colour variation also affects the navigational abilities of this thrush.
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family Turdidae.
It breeds in western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, with northern breeders moving south within or somewhat beyond the breeding range. Other populations may only move altitudinally.
This species is an improbable transatlantic migrant, but there is an accepted western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an record in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in 1982.
The breeding habitat is dense coniferous forest, with two to five eggs being laid in a tree nest. It mainly feeds near the ground, foraging for invertebrates, but also eats berries and some seeds.
The male Varied Thrush is a striking bird, and is virtually unmistakable. It is smaller than an American Robin
American Robin
The American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
and dark blue-gray above. It has bright orange wing bars, throat, lateral head stripe and underparts. There is a black breast band and facemask. The song is eerie and melancholic.
Female and juvenile birds are browner above and the orange is more subdued. The breast band and facemask are a blotchy brown.
There is an extremely rare variant of this species in which all the orange in the plumage is replaced by white. Interestingly, despite the scarcity of this form, the British vagrant mentioned above was of this type, leading to speculation that whatever mutation causes the colour variation also affects the navigational abilities of this thrush.
External links
- Mountain Mocking Bird and Varied Thrush by John Audubon
- Varied Thrush photo galley VIREO (includes picture of bluish-gray egg clutchClutch (eggs)A clutch of eggs refers to all the eggs produced by birds or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators, , results in double-clutching...
)