Meet The Thrushes

From robins to bluebirds, this group of shy singers comes in several sizes and colors. Know which is which the next time a thrush visits your backyard.

- Kenn And Kimberly Kaufman

HERMIT THRUSH

Similar in appearance to the Swainson’s thrush, the hermit has a more reddish tail. In cold weather, it’s the most common brown thrush to see. Its color varies by region: warmer brown in the East, grayer in the Rockies.

For most backyard birders, thrushes tend to fly under the radar. But you may be more familiar with this varied group than you realize. Although they may not look it, American robins and bluebirds are both part of the same family of thrushes.

More than two dozen species of thrushes have been observed in North America. Many of them are rare, strong-flying strays that have wandered far from Europe, Asia or the tropics. But several common types of native thrushes are worth looking for, too.

Brown Thrushes

Six species of thrushes with brown backs and spotted chests live in forests across North America. They sing from the trees but do most of their feeding on the ground, hopping and running in the shadows. What they lack in bright colors, they more than make up for with the beauty of their songs.