Veery
Encyclopedia
The Veery, Catharus fuscescens, is a small thrush
species
. It is occasionally called Willow Thrush or Wilson's Thrush. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant
Catharus
species, which also includes the cryptotaxa Grey-cheeked Thrush (C. minimus) and Bicknell's Thrush
(C. bicknelli).
thrushes. Adults are mainly light brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white; the breast is lighter brown with dark spots. They have pink legs; their eye ring is indistinct. Birds in the east are more cinnamon on the upperparts; western birds are more olive-brown.
This bird has a breezy downward-spiralling flute-like song, often heard from a low but concealed location. The most common call is a vee-er, which gave this bird its name.
forest across southern Canada
and the northern United States
. These birds migrate
to eastern South America
. They are very rare vagrants to western Europe
.
They forage on the forest floor, flipping leaves to uncover insects; they may fly up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects and berries.
They make a cup nest on the ground or near the base of a shrub. This bird has been displaced in some parts of its range by the related Wood Thrush
(Hylocichla mustelina). They also suffered occasionally from brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird
s (Molothrus ater).
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. It is occasionally called Willow Thrush or Wilson's Thrush. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
Catharus
Catharus
Catharus is a genus of birds in the thrush family Turdidae. It contains the small, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous migrant thrushes of North America and the nightingale-thrushes of Central and South America...
species, which also includes the cryptotaxa Grey-cheeked Thrush (C. minimus) and Bicknell's Thrush
Bicknell's Thrush
The Bicknell's Thrush, Catharus bicknelli, is a medium-sized thrush, at 17.5 cm and 28 g . It was named after Eugene Bicknell, an American amateur ornithologist, who discovered the species on Slide Mountain in the Catskills in the late 19th century.Adults are olive-brown on the upperparts,...
(C. bicknelli).
Description
This species is 16–18 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of CatharusCatharus
Catharus is a genus of birds in the thrush family Turdidae. It contains the small, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous migrant thrushes of North America and the nightingale-thrushes of Central and South America...
thrushes. Adults are mainly light brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white; the breast is lighter brown with dark spots. They have pink legs; their eye ring is indistinct. Birds in the east are more cinnamon on the upperparts; western birds are more olive-brown.
This bird has a breezy downward-spiralling flute-like song, often heard from a low but concealed location. The most common call is a vee-er, which gave this bird its name.
Ecology
Their breeding habitat is humid deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest across southern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the northern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. These birds migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
to eastern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. They are very rare vagrants to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
They forage on the forest floor, flipping leaves to uncover insects; they may fly up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects and berries.
They make a cup nest on the ground or near the base of a shrub. This bird has been displaced in some parts of its range by the related Wood Thrush
Wood Thrush
The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, is a North American passerine bird. It is closely related to other thrushes such as the American Robin and is widely distributed across North America, wintering in Central America and southern Mexico...
(Hylocichla mustelina). They also suffered occasionally from brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
The Brown-headed Cowbird is a small brood parasitic icterid of temperate to subtropical North America. They are permanent residents in the southern parts of their range; northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico in winter, returning to their summer habitat around March or...
s (Molothrus ater).
External links
- Veery - Catharus fuscescens - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Veery Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Veery Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Veery Catharus fuscescens photo with audio clip