Habitat
- Breeds in areas with closed canopy of small shrubs and a dense understory, up to the edge of the tundra.
- Winters in the understory of tropical forests.
- On migration it uses wooded sites with a thick understory.
Food
Insects and other arthropods, fruit.Back to top
Nesting
Nest Placement
Nest Description
Open cup of twigs and stems lined with moss and grass. Nest placed in crotches of branches of shrubs, or on ground.
Nesting Facts
| Clutch Size: | 3-5 eggs |
| Number of Broods: | 1 brood |
| Egg Length: | 0.8-1.0 in (2.06-2.49 cm) |
| Egg Width: | 0.6-0.8 in (1.58-1.98 cm) |
| Incubation Period: | 12-13 days |
| Egg Description: | Light greenish blue marked with brown blotches around larger end. |
| Condition at Hatching: | Helpless. |
Behavior
Conservation
Population trends of Gray-cheeked Thrush are difficult to estimate due in part to the species' remote breeding areas. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 16 million with 66% spending part of the year in the U.S., and 24% in Canada. The species rates a 9 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. Gray-cheeked Thrush is not on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List. Back to top
Credits
Lowther, Peter E., Christopher C. Rimmer, Brina Kessel, Steven L. Johnson and Walter G. Ellison. (2001). Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Lutmerding, J. A. and A. S. Love. (2019). Longevity records of North American birds. Version 1019 Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Bird Banding Laboratory 2019.
North American Bird Conservation Initiative. (2014). The State of the Birds 2014 Report. US Department of Interior, Washington, DC, USA.
Partners in Flight (2017). Avian Conservation Assessment Database. 2017.
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.
