Veery or Gray-Cheeked Thrush?

General appearance

The gray-cheeked thrush is approximately 6 1/2 -8 inches (17-20 cm) in size, comparable to a robin or sparrow. The creature has a dull brown back with a spotted chest, and facial tones that are predominantly grayish. It exhibits a paler hue around the eye, especially behind it, lacking a well-defined eye-ring. The bird's wings are pointed and its tail can be notched, rounded, or square-tipped.

Male vs female

External physical differences between the male and female gray-cheeked thrush are minimal, making it challenging to differentiate between the sexes based on appearance alone. Both possess similar coloration of black, brown, gray, and white, and share the distinctive lack of strong buff tones on the face and neck.

Juvenile

Juvenile gray-cheeked thrushes resemble adults, but their markings are typically less distinctive. They also may exhibit seasonal variations in appearance, with their plumage changing throughout their early development stages. As with the adults, the juvenile birds have a characteristic paler ring around their eyes, and lack any strong buff tones on their face and neck.

Primary habitat

The gray-cheeked thrush primarily breeds in the northern spruce forests and tundra thickets of willow and alder. These areas are often open, stunted, and the climate is typically cold.

Additional range

For migration, they inhabit other woodlands. Additionally, they winter in unexpected areas - tropical forests, a stark contrast to their typical cold climate preferences.

Natural diet

The gray-cheeked thrush primarily consumes a diverse range of insects and berries. In North America, it feeds on various insects including beetles, caterpillars, ants, wasps, fly larvae, along with spiders and other invertebrates. It also eats numerous berries and wild fruits. However, specific dietary habits during the winter in the tropics are not well-documented.

Bird feeders

There is no specific information indicating that gray-cheeked thrushes commonly visit bird feeders. Typically, their diet does not align with the foods often found in standard bird feeders which are mostly seeds and grains.