Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) | Photos, Calls and ID

LCLeast ConcernInvertebrates

ShrublandCavity nestSmall · 16 g

What the Northern Waterthrush sounds like

Sonogram of the Northern Waterthrush: time runs left to right, pitch bottom to top, and the brighter the mark the louder the sound.

Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz · Call · Chacao (near Caracas), Chacao, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz · Call, duet · Chacao (near Caracas), Chacao, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0 · via xeno-canto

Recorded by Jonathon Jongsma · Call, song · Wild River State Park, Chisago County, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

ID tip

The northern waterthrush is a large New World warbler (and not a thrush, despite the name). It has a length of 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in), wingspan of 21–24 cm (8.3–9.4 in) and weighs between 13 and 25 g (0.46 and 0.88 oz) Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 6.8 to 8.2 cm (2.7 to 3.2 in), the tail is 4.5 to 5.7 cm (1.8 to 2.2 in), the bill is 1.1 to 1.2 cm (0.43 to 0.47 in) and the tarsus is 1.9 to 2.3 cm (0.75 to 0.91 in). On the head, the crown is brown with a white supercilium. The bill is pointed and dark.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Northern Waterthrush

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 6 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Northern Waterthrush

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 46 countries with regular records, and 6 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.

Recorded as a rare visitor in Portugal, Ireland, Brazil, Netherlands, Peru, France.

About the Northern Waterthrush

The northern waterthrush is a species of ground-feeding migratory New World warbler of the genus Parkesia. It breeds in the northern part of North America, in Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States; it winters in Florida, Central America, the West Indies, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. It is a rare vagrant to other South American countries and to western Europe. Its closest relative is the Louisiana waterthrush.

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

Easily confused with

Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacillaThe Louisiana waterthrush has a plain brown back and white underparts streaked with black.

Side by side: Louisiana Waterthrush vs Northern Waterthrush

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