Varied Thrush

The Varied Thrush is a strikingly colored bird of the shadowy, wet coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest, often glimpsed as a flash of orange in the dim understory. It resembles an American Robin in shape but is far more boldly patterned, with slate-gray to blackish upperparts, a burnt-orange eyebrow stripe, and an orange breast crossed by a dark breast band.

Males are more richly colored and boldly patterned than females, which show duller, more brownish-gray tones overall. The species occasionally wanders far outside its normal range in winter, sometimes turning up as a surprise visitor at feeders across much of North America.

Key field marks

• Slate-gray to blackish upperparts (browner in females)
• Burnt-orange eyebrow stripe
• Orange throat and breast crossed by a dark breast band
• Orange wing bars visible on the folded wing

Similar species

American Robin is similarly sized and shaped but lacks the orange eyebrow, dark breast band, and orange wing bars, showing a plainer gray-brown back and uniform reddish-orange breast instead. No other North American thrush shares the Varied Thrush's bold facial and breast pattern.

Habitat

Varied Thrushes favor dense, dark, moist coniferous forest, especially old-growth or mature stands with a closed canopy, often near streams, along the Pacific coast and interior mountains.

Range

The species breeds from Alaska south through coastal British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and into northern California, extending into interior mountain ranges in some areas. It winters at lower elevations along the Pacific coast and occasionally wanders widely across North America.

Migration

Varied Thrushes are partial migrants, with many populations shifting to lower elevations or milder coastal areas in winter; some individuals irrupt well outside the normal range, sometimes appearing at bird feeders far to the east.

Behavior

Varied Thrushes forage on the forest floor, flipping leaf litter for insects and other invertebrates, and switch to eating berries and seeds heavily in fall and winter, sometimes visiting feeders during irruption years.

Voice

The song is an eerie, ethereal, single-pitched buzzy whistle, often repeated at different pitches with pauses between notes, giving the dim forest interior an otherworldly soundscape quite unlike typical thrush songs.

Nesting

Nests are built in the dense foliage of conifers, usually close to the trunk, constructed of twigs, moss, and mud. Females lay 2-5 pale blue eggs marked with brown spots.