Hermit Thrush    Catharus guttatus

Migratory Status: Short-distance migrant

PIF Population Estimate: 60 000 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: 72%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 109.05

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 200

Canadian BBS Population trend: 1.4 (0.5 to 2.3)

Life History

The Hermit Thrush is an understorey forest bird, spending much of its time foraging on the forest floor or perching in the lower branches of the undergrowth. One of the most widely distributed forested birds, it can be found in almost any forest type and breeds from sea level up to 3 000 m in mountainous regions, but it prefers mature forests, forest interiors, and interior edge habitats (e.g. a small clearing or pond in a forest patch).

Its breeding range extends from Alaska, eastward across Canada to Newfoundland and Labrador, and encompassing all forested regions in between. In the United States, its breeding range extends down the Pacific coast from Washington through the Cascade Mountains into California and Arizona. In the east, it includes forested areas in the north-eastern states and along the Appalachian Mountains into Virginia.

The winter distribution of the Hermit Thrush is limited by cold temperatures, and generally is not thought to include areas with January temperatures below -4°C. As a result, the winter range is restricted to coastal areas and the southern United States, extending into Mexico and Guatemala. This is the only Catharus species that resides in North America during the winter. Its winter habitat consists of moist, dense woody areas, with plenty of cover and access to fruit-bearing plants.

Characteristics used to identify the Hermit Thrush in the field are its medium size, brown upperparts, reddish tail, whitish underside, black spotted breast, and white eye-ring. Males and females look alike. One behaviour particular to the Hermit Thrush is tail cocking and wing flicking, which can aid identification.

In addition to physical features, the song of the Hermit Thrush also provides a reliable way to identify this species in the field. It starts with a low whistled note, followed by a second, sustained note on a slightly higher pitch, ending in a series of three or more ventriloquist-like phrases. The song has often been described as “haunting” and a “fluty warble”. Phonetically, it has been described as “Oh, holy, holy, -ah, purity purity, -eeh, sweetly sweetly”.

The Hermit Thrush is an omnivore that primarily eats invertebrates during the breeding season, and also forages on fruits and small amphibians and reptiles while travelling the forest floor. In the winter, its diet is supplemented heavily with fruits.

Reference(s)

Jones, P. W., and T. M. Donovan. 1996. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), The Birds of North America Online, . A. Poole, Ed. Ithaca: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved from The Birds of North America Online database: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/261