About the Wood Thrush
The wood thrush is a North American passerine bird in the family Turdidae and is the only species placed in the genus Hylocichla. It is closely related to other thrushes such as the American robin and is widely distributed across North America, wintering in Central America and southern Mexico. The wood thrush is the official bird of the District of Columbia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The adult wood thrush is 18 to 21.5 cm (7.1 to 8.5 in) long, with a wingspan of 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) and a body mass of 48 to 72 g (1.7 to 2.5 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 9.6 to 11.6 cm (3.8 to 4.6 in), the bill is 1.6 to 2 cm (0.63 to 0.79 in) and the tarsus is 2.8 to 3.3 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in). It is distinctly larger than the Catharus thrushes with which the species is often sympatric but slightly smaller than the common American robin. The longest known lifespan for a wood thrush in the wild is 8 years, 11 months. Voice: The wood thrush has been reported to have one of the most beautiful songs of North American birds. American naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote: Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; wherever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of Heaven are not shut against him.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Wood Thrush sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Colombia, Portugal, Germany, Venezuela, United Kingdom, Curaçao.
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a summer visitor species across most of its range
Easily confused with
FieldfareTurdus pilarisThe fieldfare is easily recognisable with its slate-grey head, nape and rump, dark brown back, blackish tail and boldly speckled breast.
Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatusThis species is 16–20 cm (6.3–7.9 in) in length.
RedwingTurdus iliacusThe thrush is 20–24 cm long with a wingspan of 33–34.5 cm and a weight of 50–75 g.
Side by side: Fieldfare vs Wood Thrush · Swainson's Thrush vs Wood Thrush · Redwing vs Wood Thrush
Learn the Wood Thrush for real
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