Acadia National Park

Description  ADULT Has mainly reddish brown upperparts. Face is gray-brown and faintly marked, and pale buff throat is bordered by brown line. Breast is yellow-buff with brown spots, grading to grayish white on rest of underparts, with gray-washed flanks and faint gray spots on lower breast and flanks. JUVENILE Brown and spotted, but first-fall bird resembles adult, but with buff tips to wing coverts.

Dimensions  Length: 6 1/2 -71/4" (16-18 cm)

Habitat  Common summer visitor (mainly May-Aug) to damp, deciduous woodland, especially thickets of willow. Winters in South America.

Observation Tips  Easiest to detect by song.

Range  Texas, Eastern Canada, Mid-Atlantic, Florida, Great Lakes, Southeast, New England, Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Northwest, Western Canada, Plains

Voice  Song is a whistled vee, v'didi, v'didi, veer, veer, descending stepwise in tone; call is a sharp veer.

Discussion  Secretive thrush. Forages in leaf litter for invertebrates. Plumage markings are understated; ironically, this helps with separation from other Catharus species (it is the least spotted). Sexes are similar.