Backyard & Woodland Songbirds
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
A shy forest thrush with one of the most beautiful songs in North America, a flute-like "ee-oh-lay." Its numbers have declined as forests are broken up.
How to identify it
- Warm rusty-brown upperparts, brightest on the head
- White underparts with bold, round black spots
- White eye-ring
- Flute-like "ee-oh-lay" song
SizeBetween a Song Sparrow and an American Robin
Carolina Chickadee4 in
Song Sparrow6 in
Wood Thrush8 in
American Robin10 in
6 inAverage length, bill to tail
Details
- Size
- 7.5–8.5 in long; wingspan about 13 in
- Weight
- 1.4–1.8 oz
- Habitat
- Mature deciduous and mixed forests with a dense understory
- When to see it
- Summer across the East (April–October); winters in Central America
- Diet
- Insects, earthworms, snails, berries
Range in the United States
Life history
Food
Forages on the forest floor for insects, worms, snails and other invertebrates; eats fruit in late summer.
Nesting
A cup of grass and leaves with a mud base, in a sapling or shrub.
- Clutch
- 2–5 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–14 days
- Young
- Fledge at about 12–15 days
- Broods
- 1–2 per year
Behavior
Sings at dawn and dusk from mid-level perches. Often adds a white piece of paper or plastic to its nest.
Conservation
Declined by about 60% since 1966, partly due to fragmented forests and nest parasitism.
Cool facts
- It can sing two notes at once, creating its flute-like harmonies.
- It's the official bird of Washington, D.C.
- It winters in Central American rainforests.
Songs & calls
▶Bird sounds video coming soon
Watch the Wood Thrush
▶Video coming soon
