CEDAR SWAMP SONG SERIES

Wood Thrushes forage on the forest floor, flipping over leaves in search of insects, snails, and sometimes small salamanders in the manner of a Kentucky Warbler or Spotted Towhee.

Partners in Flight placed this thrush on its Yellow Watch List of declining birds, noting a 60-percent drop in population between 19.Īlthough Wood Thrushes will nest in well-wooded suburban areas, they have reduced breeding success in smaller forest patches due to cowbird parasitism and nest predation from jays, crows, raccoons, and domestic cats. The destruction and fragmentation of forests are major factors in the species' decline. Accessible at audio of Wood Thrush call by Orlando Jarquín G. (Audio of Wood Thrush song by Jonathan Jongsma, XC105133. Wood Thrush call (Hylocichla mustelina).Wood Thrush song (Hylocichla mustelina).Listen to the haunting song, and call, here:

CEDAR SWAMP SONG SERIES

This series is heard year round, including at dusk, as one of the last sounds these birds make before roosting.

Each bird can sing unique versions of each song part, and one male can easily sing over 50 distinct songs!Īnother commonly heard vocalization is a rapid pit-pit-pit call, given by both sexes. The Wood Thrush's complex song begins with several low, almost inaudible notes, followed by the rising, flute-like ee-oh-lay, finishing with a complex trill. During his three-part song, a male actually sings pairs of notes simultaneously, which harmonize and blend to produce ringing, ethereal tones. Like all songbirds, Wood Thrushes have a Y-shaped voice box called the syrinx.

How do Wood Thrushes create such beautiful songs? Superlative Singer forests, the Wood Thrush's haunting, flute-like song is, sadly, heard in fewer places these days. Once a familiar summer sound throughout eastern U.S. A few of its more evocative folk names include Song Thrush, Swamp Angel, and Wood Robin. Its scientific name, Hylocichla mustelina, translates roughly as 'weasel-colored woodland thrush,' a reference to this bird's rich red-brown head, back, wings, and tail. The robust, long-legged Wood Thrush is closely related to the American Robin and thrushes of the genus Catharus, such as the Bicknell's Thrush and Swainson's Thrush.

Cedar swamp song