order Passeriformes: perching birds
family Turdidae: thrushes
Field identification tips: Several species in this genus Catharus look very similar, with brown upper parts and spotted breast; the Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) can be readily identified by the rufous-brown tail contrasting with the gray-brown back.
Typical range: This bird's breeding range includes boreal forests of Alaska and Canada, as well as the interior mountains of western North America. Wintering birds can be found along the Pacific coast as far north as southern British Columbia, south through Baja California and across the continent in the southern states, and Mexico.
Habitat: C. guttatus is a forest bird whether on the breeding grounds of the subarctic boreal forests or in the winter where it may be found in mixed deciduous/evergreen forests with dense understory and berry bushes.
all photographs Copyright © Douglas Herr
last updated 03 September 2024