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Louisiana Waterthrush

Parkesia motacilla

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesForestCavity nestSmall · 20 g
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 1
Photo: Andrew C · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 2
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 3
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 4
Photo: skitterbug · CC BY 4.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 5
Photo: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 6
Photo: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 7
Photo: Wildreturn · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 8
Photo: Wildreturn · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 9
Photo: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), photo 10
Photo: Wildreturn · CC BY 2.0

What the Louisiana Waterthrush sounds like

Sonogram of the Louisiana Waterthrush: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by Philip Vanbergen · Song · Clark Creek Natural Area, Wilkinson County, Mississippi, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto
Sonogram of the Louisiana Waterthrush: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.
Recorded by steve · Song · Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The Louisiana waterthrush has a plain brown back and white underparts streaked with black. The flanks and undertail are buff. There is a strong white flared supercilium, and the legs are bright pink. All plumages are similar, but young birds have buff underparts rather than white. The main confusion species is the closely related northern waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis), which has white flanks and undertail, a striped throat, a slightly smaller bill, a shorter supercilium and duller pink legs.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Louisiana Waterthrush

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 5 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Louisiana Waterthrush

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 28 countries with regular records, and 4 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Mexico Costa Rica Belize Guatemala Cuba Canada Honduras Panama Nicaragua Dominican Republic Puerto Rico Colombia Jamaica Bahamas El Salvador Haiti Bermuda Cayman Islands Venezuela U.S. Virgin Islands Guadeloupe Curaçao Aruba Dominica Antigua & Barbuda Turks & Caicos Islands Caribbean Netherlands

Recorded as a rare visitor in St. Kitts & Nevis, Martinique, St. Barthélemy, St. Martin.

About the Louisiana Waterthrush

The Louisiana waterthrush is a New World warbler, that breeds in eastern North America and winters in the West Indies and Central America. Plain brown above, it is white below, with black streaks and with buff flanks and undertail, distinguishing it from the closely related northern waterthrush. The habitats it prefers are streams and their surroundings, and other wet areas.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisThe northern waterthrush is a large New World warbler (and not a thrush, despite the name).

Side by side: Louisiana Waterthrush vs Northern Waterthrush · Louisiana Waterthrush vs Prothonotary Warbler

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