Thrushes

Varied Thrush

Ixoreus naevius

One of Alaska's most beautiful birds, with deep blue-gray upperparts, a burnt-orange breast, and a bold orange eyebrow. Its eerie, buzzy single-note song echoes through Kodiak's misty spruce forests.

Where to look

Dense Sitka spruce forests at Fort Abercrombie, Pillar Mountain, and wooded drainages throughout Kodiak Island.

Habitat

Dense, moist coniferous forests.

Diet

Earthworms, insects, berries, and seeds.

Natural history note

The Varied Thrush's haunting song consists of a single long whistle on different pitches, often carrying half a mile through dense forest.