Species

Hermit thrush

Catharus guttatus

A shy, rusty-tailed thrush with one of the loveliest songs in North America, wintering in Georgia's woods.

Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 15 to 18 cm long
Weight: About 23 to 37 g
Habitat: Woods with dense understorey in winter
Diet: Insects and berries
In Georgia: A common winter visitor
Voice: A flute-like song of rising phrases; a soft "chuck" in winter
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Olive-brown above; reddish tail; spotted breast; thin pale eye-ring; flicks its tail and wings
Told apart from: Wood thrush, which has bold black spots and rusty upperparts
Told apart from: Brown thrasher, which is larger with a long tail
Where to look: Shady woods and thickets in winter

Behaviour

Hermit thrushes forage on the ground, and raise and lower their tails slowly. They eat berries in winter, which lets them stay farther north than other thrushes.

Why they matter

The hermit thrush is the only spotted thrush that winters in Georgia. Its song, heard in its northern breeding woods, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful of any bird.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cup on or near the ground
Eggs — Usually three to six
Incubation — About 12 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Berry-bearing shrubs such as holly and dogwood feed them in winter.

Misconceptions

All thrushes leave in winter. Hermit thrushes winter in Georgia.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering	Wintering	Wintering	Leaving	Nesting in the north and high mountains	Nesting	Nesting	Nesting	Migrating	Arriving	Wintering	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 90 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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