Medium-sized thrush with a round head and a full-bodied look. Brown above, with a distinctly reddish tail. The underparts are pale with spots on the throat and smudged spots on the breast.
Brown above with a strongly contrasting reddish tail. Note thin white eyering.
Typically found on forest floor, where it hops while foraging in the leaf litter. Note erect posture with head tilted and bill slightly raised.
Juveniles are brownish gray above with spotting on the back and wings.
Hops and scrapes in leaf litter while foraging for insects.
Medium-sized thrush with dark brown spots on the breast and paler smudgier spots on the flanks.
Click on an image to compare
Hermit Thrushes have a chunky shape similar to an American Robin, but smaller. They stand upright, often with the slender, straight bill slightly raised. Like other thrushes, the head is round and the tail fairly long.
Smaller than an American Robin, larger than a Song Sparrow
between sparrow and robinThere are three main groups of Hermit Thrushes. Birds in the Pacific states tend to be smaller, thinner billed, with dusky brown upper bodies and grayish flanks. In the interior mountain West, they are bigger, thin billed, and grayer overall with larger spots and less rufous in the wings. Eastern birds are medium sized and thick billed. They are richly colored, with a buffy wash on the flanks and under the tail.
Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.
