Swainson's Thrush

Swainson's Thrush , also called Olive-backed Thrush, is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 16–18 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing patterm characteristic of Catharus thrushes. Swainson's Thrush was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist.

The Swainson's Thrush is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

Swainson's Thrushes also have distinct buff-colored eye-rings. More

Swainson's Thrush was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist. The breeding habitat of Swainson's Thrush is coniferous woods with dense undergrowth across Canada, Alaska and the northern United States, also deciduous wooded areas on the Pacific coast of North America. These birds migrate to southern Mexico and as far south as Argentina. More

Swainson's Thrush is best distinguished from all other thrushes by presence of buffy eye-ring and lores. The distinctive song and call also distinguish Swainson's Thrush from others. The flutelike song spirals upward, differing from the descending or variably pitched songs of related thrushes (Evans et al. 2000). More

Swainson's Thrushes are not particularly common birds in the Santa Monica Mountains at the Zuma Canyon Bird Banding station (only 22 encounters in seven years). But since this bird can easily be mistaken for a Hermit Thrush, I thought the inclusion of its Species Account would be useful. Swainson's and Hermit thrushes have an almost sympatric breeding range, but Swainson's Thrushes do not winter in the U.S. but rather in southern Mexico and into Central America. There are six subspecies in two groups. More

* The Swainson's Thrush is the only woodland thrush whose song goes up in pitch. * It was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist, and is also called the Olive-backed Thrush. * This species may be displaced by the Hermit Thrush where their ranges overlap. Possibly, the latter species adapts more readily to human encroachment upon its habitat. More

Russet-backed Swainson's Thrush – more what we would expect with Olive-backed Swainson's Thrush. More importantly, the flanks on this bird appear olive without the rufous expected on Russet-backed Swainson's Thrush. Look particularly at the flanks near the primary coverts where there is no hint of rufous at all. From what we can see, the breast spotting appears quite extensive, another feature of Olive-backed Swainson's Thrush. More

The Swainson's Thrush is distinguished from the other spotted thrushes by its obvious eyering and buffy face. More

* The Swainson's Thrush is the only woodland thrush whose song goes up in pitch. Habitat - Forest * Breeds primarily in coniferous forests, especially spruce and fir. Also in riparian woodlands in California. * Winters in mature tropical forest and secondary forest. More

Swainson's Thrush resembles the Hermit in being plain brown above and spotted below, but careful study reveals many differences. The sides of a Swainson's Thrush's head are a rich tawny color, those of a Hermit dull gray-brown. The Swainson's eye ring is likewise tawny, a Hermit's whitish. The tawny color extends across the breast and is much deeper than in even subspecies vaccinius of the Hermit. More

Read more about the Swainson's Thrush in the Backyard Birds Section. More

Heard more often than seen, the shy Swainson's Thrush is one of our most beloved songsters. Across its boreal and western breeding range, its ethereal, flutelike song is one of the most prominent natural sounds. Swainson's Thrush occurs in two subspecies groups, the "Russet-backed Thrush" of the western boreal region and Pacific coast and the "Olive-backed Thrush" of the eastern boreal region, Rockies, and Appalachians. These forms differ in plumage, breeding habitat, winter range, and certain vocalizations. More

The Swainson's Thrush, Catharus ustulatus, is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 16-18 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing patterm characteristic of Catharus thrushes. Four subspecies are recognised, Cathartus ustulatus alame, C. u. swainsoni, C. u. ustulatus and C. u. oedicus. Adults are brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white with brown on the flanks; the breast is lighter brown with darker spots. They have pink legs and a light brown eye ring. More

Swainson's ThrushThis information was scanned from The Birds of British Columbia (Campbell et al.), Volume III, pages 394-401. Volumes I, II and III of The Birds of British Columbia can be ordered electronically at: orders@ubcpress.ubc.ca from UBC Press in Vancouver, British Columbia. More

The Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes are easily confused yet have very different breeding habitats, migration schedules, and winter ranges. In San Diego County we are at the southern tip of the breeding distribution of each. Neither has yet been confirmed breeding in the county during our atlas effort, but the best time to confirm them is from mid-June to July, making these species appropriate for this issue of Wrenderings. More

The Swainson's Thrush, named in honor of the early 19th century English ornithologist William Swainson, spends it summers in the coniferous forests of Canada and the northern US, and its winters from southern Mexico through to Argentina. Its diet consists of beetles, ants, bees, caterpillars, spruce bud moth, mosquitoes, other insect pests, and an assortment of berries. Migratory movements are at night. Its distinctive call sounds like a drop of water "whoit." Its song is an upward sounding spiral like "whip-poor-will-a-will-e-zee-zee-zee. More