Thrushes

Hermit Thrush

Catharus guttatus

A medium-sized, spotted thrush with a distinctive habit of slowly raising and then lowering its rufous tail. Considered by many to have the most beautiful song of any North American bird.

Where to look

Coniferous forest understory near Kodiak town and along the Buskin River corridor; listen for its flute-like spiraling song.

Habitat

Coniferous and mixed forests with dense understory.

Diet

Insects, earthworms, berries, and small amphibians.

Natural history note

The Hermit Thrush is the only Catharus thrush that winters in North America, and its resonant song inspired Walt Whitman's elegy to Abraham Lincoln.