Townsend's Solitaire
Myadestes townsendi · Thrushes
Banding codeTOSO
Keys to identifying it
1Size & shape
About 8.5 in long.
2Color pattern
- Slim gray thrush
- Bold white eye-ring
- Buffy wing patches and white outer tail feathers
3Habitat & season
Mountain forests in summer; juniper slopes in winter
In northern Utah: year-round.
Seen most often in January, February and October.
Share of the region’s research-grade iNaturalist bird observations each month, scaled to this bird’s peak. Highlighted bars are its peak months.
4Voice
A long, rich, warbling song; a single whistled note in winter.
“a clear, piping 'heeh'”
iNat 294197742 by David Anderson · Mt Hood, OR 97041, USA · CC BY
Know it
- Defends winter territories around juniper trees to guard its berry supply.
- Sings in winter as well as summer, which is unusual for a songbird.
- A thrush related to bluebirds and robins.
- Often nests on the ground in a cut bank or road cut.
Often confused with
Dark-eyed Junco
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
House Finch- American Pipit
From iNaturalist identification data for northern Utah.
From Wikipedia
Townsend's solitaire is a medium-sized thrush, the only solitaire native to America north of Mexico.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0