Hermit Thrush Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesHermit Thrush
Adult
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.
© August Davidson-Onsgard / Macaulay LibraryNew York, April 11, 2019Adult
Brown above with a strongly contrasting reddish tail. Note thin white eyering.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, April 14, 2015Adult
A medium-sized thrush with a thin white eyering and distinct blackish spots on the upper breast. Flicks wings and raises and slowly lowers tail.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 07, 2016Adult
Medium-sized thrush with a rich brown upper body and smudged spots on the breast, with a reddish tail that sets it apart from similar species. Sometimes cocks its tail up, while flicking its wings.
© Paul Fenwick / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 07, 2020Adult
Hops and scrapes in leaf litter while foraging for insects.
© Mark Chavez / Macaulay LibraryColorado, May 02, 2017Adult
Can be conspicuous on migration, even foraging out in the open on the ground. Note the reddish tail contrasting with the brownish upperparts.
© Ryan Mandelbaum / Macaulay LibraryNew York, April 15, 2023Adult
Medium-sized thrush with dark brown spots on the breast and paler smudgier spots on the flanks.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, December 20, 2016Juvenile
Juveniles are brownish gray above with spotting on the back and wings.
© Giovanni Pari / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, August 23, 2016Adult
Song—often considered one of the world's most beautiful—is rich, haunting, and melodious. Typically starts with a short whistled phrase, followed by a short pause, and then a second phrase, often higher in pitch.
© Daniel Jauvin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, May 02, 2023Habitat
Found in the understory of deciduous and evergreen forests, especially around edges or openings.
© James McCall / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 04, 2017Adult
Typically found on forest floor, where it hops while foraging in the leaf litter. Note erect posture with head tilted and bill slightly raised.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryArkansas, February 01, 2005Similar SpeciesSwainson's Thrush
Adult (Olive-backed)
Swainson’s Thrushes have a bolder, buffy eyering compared with Hermit Thrush's thin white eyering. Swainson's tail does not contrast with the color of the back; Hermit's tail is redder than its brown back.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryWyoming, May 14, 2016Similar SpeciesVeery
Adult
Veeries are entirely reddish brown with weaker breast spotting than Hermit Thrushes, which have a brown back and reddish tail.
© Robert Beaumont / Macaulay LibraryConnecticut, May 13, 2017Similar SpeciesGray-cheeked Thrush
Adult/immature
Gray-cheeked Thrushes are grayer overall without the contrasting reddish brown tail of Hermit Thrushes.
© Dick Dionne / Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 26, 2014Similar SpeciesBicknell's Thrush
Adult
Bicknell's Thrushes are grayer overall without the contrasting reddish brown tail of Hermit Thrushes.
© Tom Johnson / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 11, 2016Similar SpeciesWood Thrush
Adult/immature
Wood Thrushes have bold, black breast spots, so distinct that you can make out each individual spot, unlike the smudgy brown spots of Hermit Thrushes. Wood Thrushes are larger than Hermit Thrushes.
© Margaret Viens / Macaulay LibraryMaine, May 13, 2015Compare with Similar Species
Click on an image to compare
Species in This Family
Thrushes and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Turdidae)
More to Read
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.