Hermit Thrush About to Migrate

March 15, 2026

One of my winter residents, a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), striking a pose for me on a post. You can’t see its tail and back color. A warm reddish-brown set against its olive-brown back. Two different colors.

A color placement that allows for comparing it with two other similar Thrushes, Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked Thrush. The Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) has a uniform back, wings, and tail of warm olive-brown, while the Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) has back, wings, and tail of grayish-olive.

This might be the last picture I’ll get of a Hermit Thrush this season, since they begin their migration in late March through early April. I’ll see you next autumn Hermit!

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

One thought on “Hermit Thrush About to Migrate”

  1. Thrushes really require plenty of thicket for nesting, and insects for feed. With todays lawn/herbicides and lack of sheltering trees, these lovely birds are scarce. Songsters of yore.

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