The flute-voiced "ee-oh-lay" of eastern summer woods. A rusty-brown thrush with black-spotted white breast, wood thrushes are a major indicator species for eastern forest health — and they're declining fast.

Also called: Wood Robin (folk), Song Thrush (folk; the true Song Thrush is European)

Native status: Native to eastern US; declining

§ Quick facts

SizeBody 19–22 cm (7.5–8.7 in); wingspan 30–34 cm
Weight40–50 g
LifespanWild typically 8 years; oldest documented 8.9
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyTurdidae

§ Encyclopedia

The wood thrush is a North American passerine bird in the family Turdidae and is the only species placed in the genus Hylocichla. It is closely related to other thrushes such as the American robin and is widely distributed across North America, wintering in Central America and southern Mexico. The wood thrush is the official bird of the District of Columbia.

Source: Wikipedia — Wood thrush Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Medium thrush with rusty-cinnamon back and head, bright white underparts heavily marked with large round black spots. White eye ring.

Similar species. Hermit Thrush (smaller spots, gray-brown back). Veery (warmer back, faint spots). Brown Thrasher (larger, longer tail, streaked underparts).

Voice. Ethereal flute-like "ee-oh-lay" song. Sharp "pit pit pit" alarm.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Soil invertebrates (earthworms, beetles, flies, ants) in summer; fruits dominate fall and migration diet.

Behavior. Forest-floor specialist. Among the most recognizable bird songs in eastern North America — described as a "flute duet" because the bird can produce two notes simultaneously using two voice boxes (syrinxes). Wood Thrush populations have declined ~50% since 1966; major causes include forest fragmentation, brown-headed cowbird parasitism, acid rain reducing soil invertebrate abundance, and tropical winter habitat loss in Central America.

§ Range

Eastern North American forests in summer; winters in Central America

§ Habitat

Mature deciduous and mixed forests with leaf-litter understory

§ Threats

Forest fragmentation, brown-headed cowbird parasitism, acid rain affecting prey, tropical deforestation.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the wood thrush is currently classified as Near Threatened.

§ What helps

Plant native shrub understory. Support large-block forest protection. Donate to tropical reforestation.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • Cornell Lab — All About Birds
  • National Audubon Society
  • Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest research
  • IUCN Red List 2018