ID Quiz - May 28, 2021

It's a Swainson's Thrush!

The Catharus thrushes (Veery, Hermit, Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's, Swainson's) can be a tricky group to separate visually. This bird lacks the reddish overall upperside color of a Veery, and doesn't show strong red in the tail, which rules out Hermit. That leaves us with Swainson's and Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's. The latter pair are essentially identical visually, which is why I treat them together, although Gray-cheeked is much more expected in PA than Bicknell's. The key field mark here, though, is the buffy "spectacles," which is a Swainson's characteristic over Gray-cheeked.

View full quiz archive