Hermit Thrush in Winter

 Hermit Thrush in my yard January 18, 2015

Hermit Thrushes are rare but possible here in Maine in the Winter. They are the only brown thrush usually seen in North America during the winter. This little guy showed up in my yard on January 18th and has been here ever since! I have seen it eating berries, seeds and suet as well as the mealworms I put out for the chickadees and titmice. It was feeding right along with all the other birds during the blizzard and it was here again yesterday. Hermit Thrushes are related to Robins and Bluebirds, though most often they are confused with Wood Thrushes, Swainson’s Thrushes and Veerys during the summer if you don’t know what to look for. So how do you know you have a Hermit Thrush and not one of the other species of thrush?

Look for a complete white eye-ring and brown spots on the breast.

 

The bird is olive brown in color with a rust-colored tail.

 

It is the only thrush with this brown upperparts and rusty tail.

 

It has a complete eye-ring that does not look like spectacles!

 

Can you see it hiding beneath the rhododendron bush?

I took this photo on January 21st.

There is a feeder just out of sight around the corner.

This is the Hermit Thrush in my yard on 1-25-15

It is after last Saturday’s snow but before the blizzard.

I hope it makes it through until Spring!