Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 7.5–10.2 in
19–26 cm - Wingspan
- 13.4–15 in
34–38 cm - Weight
- 2.3–3.5 oz
65–100 g
Other Names
- Grive à collier (French)
- Zorzal pechicinchado, Mirlo pecho cinchado (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Males, but only rarely females, defend and maintain small feeding territories around bird feeders. They are aggressive and dominate many other feeder bird species.
- To defend a territory a male may first give a Tail-Up display where the bird faces away from the intruder and holds its tail up to show off the gray-and-white patterned undertail coverts. If the intruder keeps coming the male may turn around and give the Head-Forward display with the wings fanned to show off the orange wing stripe and the tail cocked up over the head showing the white corners.
- Data from Project FeederWatch show that populations go up and down every other year. Go here for a discussion.
Habitat
Forest
- Breeds in wet coniferous or mixed forests. Prefers mature forests with a closed canopy, but found in second growth forests.
- Winters in forests, parks, and gardens.
Food
Insects
Arthropods, fruit, acorns.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–6 eggs
- Egg Description
- Light sky blue, usually with small dark brown spots.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless and with small patches of down.
Nest Description
Open cup with an outer layer of twigs and leaves; a middle layer of rotten wood, moss, and mud; and an inner layer of fine grass and moss. Nest on branches of small conifer in understory of forest.
Nest Placement
Tree
Behavior
Ground Forager
Feeds primarily on ground for litter-dwelling arthropods; grabs litter in bill, hops back, tosses litter aside, then examines cleared area.
Conservation
Least Concern
Breeding populations in United States are declining, perhaps because of logging of mature forests. Not listed. May benefit from reserves established for Spotted Owl.
Credits
- George, T. L. 2000. Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius). In The Birds of North America, No. 541 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.