Veery

The Veery is the least boldly marked of North America's Catharus thrushes, with a warm, uniform tawny-brown back that lacks the strong facial patterns or tail contrasts found in its relatives. Its plain appearance is more than made up for by its voice, an ethereal, breezy song that seems to spiral downward and outward, a signature sound of moist eastern and northern woodlands in early summer.

The underparts are pale with only faint, indistinct spotting restricted mostly to the upper breast, and the flanks show a soft gray wash, giving the whole bird a soft, warm, understated look.

Key field marks

• Uniform warm tawny-brown upperparts, with little to no contrast between the tail and back
• Faint, indistinct spotting on the upper breast (the least-marked of the Catharus thrushes)
• Grayish wash on the flanks
• Thin, incomplete eyering

Similar species

• Hermit Thrush: shows a reddish tail contrasting with a duller back and a bold white eyering.
• Swainson's Thrush: buffy face and eyering with more distinct spotting.
• Wood Thrush: much bolder, rounder black spots covering the underparts and a brighter rufous head.

Habitat

Veeries favor moist deciduous or mixed woodlands with a dense shrubby understory, often near streams or in swampy bottomland, across their breeding range.

Range

The species breeds across southern Canada and the northern United States, including New England, the Great Lakes region, and the Appalachians, extending west into parts of the northern Rockies. It winters in South America, primarily in the Amazon basin.

Migration

Veeries are long-distance nocturnal migrants that travel to wintering grounds in Brazil and other parts of South America, among the longest migrations of any Catharus thrush, and are known for sometimes adjusting the timing of migration based on anticipated hurricane activity.

Behavior

Veeries forage on or near the ground in dense understory, taking insects, other invertebrates, and fruit, and tend to stay low and somewhat secretive, more often heard than seen.

Voice

The song is a distinctive, breezy, downward-spiraling series of "veer" or "vee-ur" notes, with a reedy, almost otherworldly quality that is one of the most recognizable sounds of northern and eastern forests in late spring and early summer.

Nesting

Nests are built low, usually on or just above the ground, hidden in dense shrubs or at the base of saplings. Females lay 3-4 pale blue eggs, and the species is less frequently parasitized by cowbirds than some other thrushes.