Of all the American spotted thrushes, the Gray-cheeked has the most northern breeding range. Consequently this shy skulker of the underbrush is not well known and is rather infrequently seen.
Gray-cheeked and Bicknell's thrushes were only recently recognized as separate species. Most of the information published in the last century on "Gray-cheeked Thrush" concerned the Bicknell's Thrush instead of the Gray-cheeked. Although Gray-cheeked Thrush has a much larger range across North America, the Bicknell's Thrush's small range is closer to centers of human population, and therefore is the more accessible species.
The oldest recorded Gray-cheeked Thrush was at least 6 years, 11 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Ontario in 2005. It had been banded in Florida in 1999.
Thrushes
