A medium-sized thrush with distinctive orange band across breast.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The varied thrush is a member of the thrush family, Turdidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Ixoreus.
Source: Wikipedia — Varied thrush Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Robin-shaped but with a bold orange eyebrow, orange underparts crossed by a dark breast band, and orange wing bars on a slate-gray (male) or brownish (female) body.
Similar species. American Robin lacks the orange eyebrow, breast band, and wing bars; the Varied Thrush's bold orange-and-black pattern is unmistakable.
Voice. A long, eerie, vibrato single note on one pitch, followed after a pause by another at a different pitch.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects, worms, fruits.
Behavior. A thrush of dark, wet Pacific Northwest conifer forest; forages on the forest floor and gives a haunting, single-pitched humming note that drifts through the gloom.
§ Range
Pacific Northwest
§ Habitat
Cool moist coniferous forests
§ Threats
Forest loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the varied thrush is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support Pacific Northwest forest conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Varied thrush
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Ixoreus naevius
- IUCN Red List — search for Ixoreus naevius
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Ixoreus naevius
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
