A medium-sized gray thrush with white eye ring and white outer tail feathers. Sings beautiful flute-like song from high mountain perches.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Townsend's solitaire is a medium-sized thrush, the only solitaire native to America north of Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia — Townsend's solitaire Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Slender, long-tailed gray bird with a bold white eye ring, a buffy wing patch (visible in flight), and white outer tail feathers.
Similar species. Northern Mockingbird is paler with big white wing patches and a different shape; the solitaire's plain gray body, eye ring, and upright perch are distinctive.
Voice. A long, melodious, finch-like warble; call a soft, clear 'eek' or whistled note.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects, worms, fruits.
Behavior. A slim gray thrush of western mountains that defends winter feeding territories in juniper groves, where it depends on the berry crop; sings a long, rich warble from treetops.
§ Range
Western mountains
§ Habitat
Mountain coniferous forests
§ Threats
Forest loss, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the townsend's solitaire is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support mountain forest conservation. Plant native junipers.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Townsend's solitaire
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Myadestes townsendi
- IUCN Red List — search for Myadestes townsendi
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Myadestes townsendi
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
