Scientific Name: Catharus ustulatus
Diet: Swainson’s Thrushes eat berries and insects. The insects they eat include beetles, ants, mosquitoes, caterpillars, and Bees. The berries Swaison’s Thrushes eat include blackberries, raspberries, and huckleberries. In winter Swainson’s Thrushes chase swarms of army ants.
Habitat: The Swainson’s Thrush breeds in coniferous forests, particularly fir and spruce. Swainson’s Thrushes live in coniferous and deciduous forests with dense undergrowth and thickets.
Sound: The Swainson’s Thrush’s echoing song is a bell-like series of notes that rise in pitch. The call is a sharp pit! pit!
Nesting: The nest is placed in a deciduous shrub or tree, 2 to 10 feet high. It is made out of strips of bark, twigs, moss, grass, mud, and leaves, and it is lined with dead leaves, lichen, animal hair, rootlets, and moss. Swainson’s Thrushes lay 3 or 4 eggs.
Description/field marks: Swainson’s Thrushes are about 6 or 7 inches long, and they have wingspans of about 11 or 12 inches. Swainson’s Thrushes are fairly plain looking birds. They have brown tails, wings, backs, and heads, and they have buff colored eye rings and throats. They have speckled breasts, and white undersides. The bill is black with a pink base, and the feet and legs are pink.