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Archives » Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

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John Burroughs II

John Burroughs, one of the masters of American nature writing, wrote "The birds do indeed begin with the day. The farmer who is in the field at work while he can yet see stars catches their first matin hymns. In the longest June days the robin strikes up about half past three o'clock..."... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  vocalization
Related bird:  American Robin (Turdus migratorius), Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula), Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

The Wood Thrush and Eastern Forests

The rich, fluting song of the Wood Thrush floats through an eastern deciduous forest. Unfortunately, forests at both ends of their winter and summer range are being cleared for pasture, agriculture, mining, and housing developments. We can help Wood Thrushes and forest birds everywhere by... read more »

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Related bird:  Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Henry David Thoreau and the Wood Thrush

In June 1853, Thoreau wrote of an enchanting encounter with the Wood Thrush: "This is the only bird whose note affects me like music. It lifts and exhilarates me. It is inspiring. It changes all hours to an eternal morning." Wood Thrushes thrive in large expanses of forest. And their numbers have... read more »

RELATED
Topics & Themes:  migration, vocalization
Related bird:  Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

State Birds

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have official birds. To become a state bird, it helped to be familiar, colorful, and have a punchy song. The Northern Cardinal perches as state bird in seven eastern states, the Western Meadowlark in six western states. Bluebirds - like this Western... read more »

RELATED
Topics & Themes:  history
Related bird:  Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana), Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

Voices and Vocabularies - Exquisite Thrush Songs

Some believe the song of the Wood Thrush to be the most beautiful bird song in North America. Others select the song of the Hermit Thrush. Still others name the singing of the Swainson’s Thrush. How do thrushes like this Veery create such fine music? The answer is that the birds have a double... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  ornithology, science, sound, vocalization
Related bird:  Veery (Catharus fuscescens), Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)

Tracking Birds During Migration

It’s more important than ever to map their travels – to learn when birds take flight, where they stop to rest, and what they require for food and shelter along the way. New tools like advanced weather radar, crowdsourcing, and geolocators are helping us learn more about where birds go and when. read more »

RELATED
Topics & Themes:  migration, science
Related bird:  Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus), Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), Purple Martin (Progne subis)

Geolocators Reveal Secrets of Landbird Migration

Geolocators are revealing fascinating information about the lives of migratory birds. These devices are so light that they can be mounted on the backs of even small birds like the Wood Thrush pictured here with its nestlings. Thanks to geolocators, we know that many Wood Thrushes return to the U.... read more »

RELATED
Topics & Themes:  ecology, migration, ornithology, science
Related bird:  Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), Purple Martin (Progne subis)

"Thanks for Making Us Play Outside!"

As a young boy, David Sibley often explored the outdoors with his father. He recalls turning over logs to look for mole crickets, identifying plants, and watching for birds. We asked David for ways to encourage children to connect with nature: “My advice to other parents is just to get outdoors,”... read more »

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Topics & Themes:  environmental champion
Related bird:  Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

A Bird Migrates South, Step by Step

Wood Thrushes migrate more than 2,000 miles each way, between their summer breeding territories in the US and Canada to where they winter in Central America. During migration, the birds will fly for hundreds of miles at night, then stop for days or weeks to refuel. In the spring, they’ll head... read more »

RELATED
Topics & Themes:  migration
Related bird:  Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)

One-Bird Symphony

To make their beautiful songs and calls, birds have different sound-making anatomy than people. Humans have a larynx at the top of our windpipe. Birds use a different organ, called the syrinx. Naturalist Kenn Kaufman and Dallas Taylor of the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz explain. read more »

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Related bird:  Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
Related video: 
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Wood Thrush

Wood Thrush

Webcams and videos are hosted by third parties. In exchange, you may periodically see 30-second advertisements. BirdNote does not endorse any of the products, services, or causes on third-party pages. All webcams have seasonal changes and may be down for hours, weeks, or months at a time. If this one is not active, please check our video or webcam gallery for more.

Wood Thrush nesting and singing

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wood thrush

wood thrush

Webcams and videos are hosted by third parties. In exchange, you may periodically see 30-second advertisements. BirdNote does not endorse any of the products, services, or causes on third-party pages. All webcams have seasonal changes and may be down for hours, weeks, or months at a time. If this one is not active, please check our video or webcam gallery for more.

Wood Thrush tunes up!

Thanks to Carl Gerhardt, for this beautiful video! read more »
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Wood Thrush singing

Wood Thrush singing

Webcams and videos are hosted by third parties. In exchange, you may periodically see 30-second advertisements. BirdNote does not endorse any of the products, services, or causes on third-party pages. All webcams have seasonal changes and may be down for hours, weeks, or months at a time. If this one is not active, please check our video or webcam gallery for more.

Wood Thrush singing

read more »
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