Songs
The Wood Thrush's easily recognized, flute-like ee-oh-lay is actually only the middle phrase of a three-part song. It learns the phrase from other Wood Thrushes and sings several variants with 2 to 10 loud, clear notes. Combining those with 1–3 variants of the low, soft notes of the introductory phrase and 6–12 variants of the final higher-pitched complex trill, a male can easily sing over 50 distinct songs. Individuals can be identified by the repeating order they sing their variants of the middle phrase in song after song.
Calls
A staccato bup-bup-bup call signals mild distress, but rises in pitch and grows louder and more complex with increasing agitation until it becomes a distinctive, machine-gun-like pit-pit-pit alarm. This call accompanies territory or nest defense. The male sometimes chatters a pit-pit call during nest building, when it may be part of mate guarding.
Other Sounds
During aggressive displays, Wood Thrushes may snap the mandibles of the bill together.
Backyard Tips
Wood Thrushes are forest-interior birds and are unlikely to come to feeders. However, they are still common and may be audible from your yard if you live near small woodlots.
Find This Bird
You'll likely hear the Wood Thrush before you see it. The male sings his haunting, flute-like ee-oh-lay song from the lower canopy or midstory of deciduous or mixed eastern forests. To see Wood Thrushes, look for them foraging quietly on the forest floor and digging through leaf litter.