# Swainson's Thrush

*Catharus ustulatus*

This bird performs incredible nocturnal migrations, often flying thousands of miles between boreal forests and South American tropics.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Turdidae › Catharus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Coniferous forests, willow thickets, and dense riparian woodlands.
- **Diet:** Insects such as beetles and caterpillars during breeding; berries and fruit during migration.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, South America
- **Size:** 16-20 cm in length, 23-45 g weight
- **Lifespan:** 10-12 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, window collisions during migration, and climate-driven shifts in insect availability.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and shy. Observe quietly from a distance using binoculars to avoid causing stress, especially during nesting. If you find an injured bird, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.

## About

Swainson's thrush ( Catharus ustulatus ), also called olive-backed thrush , is a medium-sized thrush. It is a member of Catharus genus and is typical of it in terms of its subdued coloration and beautiful voice. Swainson's thrush was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/e3bc363e-96eb-4349-b059-cc4c950e1a4e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/12878
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharus ustulatus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/4883525/medium.jpg (Alejandro  Bayer Tamayo, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.