Varied Thrush Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesVaried Thrush
Adult male
Stocky, large thrush with a round head and a straight bill. Adult males are blue-gray on the back and rich burnt orange below with a sooty-black breastband and orange line over the eye.
© Graham Gerdeman / Macaulay LibraryWashington, March 14, 2016Female/immature
Large full-bodied thrush. Females/immatures are browner overall than adult males but still have a burnt-orange breast, wingbars, and eyebrows.
© Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 18, 2018Juvenile
Juveniles look like females/immatures but have a paler eyebrow and a dingy grayish breast with spotting.
© Esme Rosen / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, August 12, 2013Female/immature
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryOregon, August 01, 2001Not all videos have sound
Female/immature
Stocky, large thrush with a round head and a straight bill. Females/immatures are paler than adult males with a browner back and a fainter gray breast band.
© Robb Bell / Macaulay LibraryAlberta, October 13, 2018Adult male
Usually seen standing on the ground or perched horizontally in a tree. Note burnt-orange throat and belly separated by a dark breast band.
© Ilya Povalyaev / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, November 11, 2019Female/immature
Breeds in dark understories of humid evergreen and mixed forests along the Pacific Coast. In the winter, many move into dense parks, gardens, and backyards.
© Douglas Hall / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 30, 2018Similar SpeciesAmerican Robin
Adult male
American Robins lack the facial, wing, and breast markings of the Varied Thrush.
© Ashley Bradford / Macaulay LibraryVirginia, March 14, 2017Similar SpeciesAmerican Robin
Juvenile
Juvenile American Robins have white spotting on the back that juvenile Varied Thrushes lack. The wings are plain gray, lacking the orange wingbars on Varied Thrush.
© Greg Gillson / Macaulay LibraryOregon, July 31, 2013Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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