Veery
| Veery | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Turdidae |
| Genus: | Catharus |
| Species: | C. fuscescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Catharus fuscescens (Stephens, 1817) | |
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| Veery range Breeding range Wintering range | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hylocichla fuscescens | |
The veery (Catharus fuscescens) is a small North American thrush species, a member of a group of closely related and similar species in the genus Catharus, also including the gray-cheeked thrush (C. minimus) and Bicknell's thrush (C. bicknelli).[2] Alternate names for this species include Wilson's thrush (named so after Alexander Wilson[3]) and tawny thrush.[4]
Description
This species measures 16–19.5 cm (6.3–7.7 in) in length. Its mass is 26–39 g (0.92–1.38 oz), exceptionally up to 54 g (1.9 oz). The wingspan averages 28.5 cm (11.2 in).[5] Each wing measures 8.9–10.4 cm (3.5–4.1 in), the bill measures 1.2–1.9 cm (0.47–0.75 in) and the tarsus is 2.7–3.25 cm (1.06–1.28 in).[6] The veery shows the characteristic underwing stripe of Catharus thrushes. Adults are mainly light brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white; the breast is light tawny with faint brownish spots. Veeries have pink legs and a poorly defined eye ring. Birds in the eastern portions of the species' breeding range are more cinnamon on the upperparts; western birds are more olive-brown. In the east, the veery is distinguished easily by its coloration; distinguishing western veeries from other Catharus thrushes is more difficult.[7]
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Song
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This bird has a breezy, downward-spiralling, flute-like song, often given from a low and concealed perch. The most common call is a harsh, descending vee-er, which gave the bird its name.
Ecology
The breeding habitat is humid deciduous forest across southern Canada and the northern United States. These birds migrate to eastern South America. They are very rare vagrants to western Europe.
They forage on the forest floor, flipping leaves to uncover insects; they may fly up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects and berries.
They make a cup nest on the ground or near the base of a shrub. This bird has been displaced in some parts of its range by the related wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). Veeries are occasional hosts for the eggs of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater).
Footnotes
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Catharus fuscescens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ↑ Winker & Pruett (2006)
- ↑ "Wilson's thrush". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- ↑ "John J. Audubon's Birds of America".
- ↑
- ↑ Thrushes by Peter Clement. Princeton University Press (2001), ISBN 978-0691088525
- ↑
References
- Winker, Kevin & Pruett, Christin L. (2006): Seasonal migration, speciation, and morphological convergence in the avian genus Catharus (Turdidae). Auk 123(4): 1052-1068. [Article in English with Spanish abstract] DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123[1052:SMSAMC]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Veery. |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Catharus fuscescens |
- Veery - Catharus fuscescens - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Veery Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Veery - Catharus fuscescens - photo with audio clip at eNature.com
- Veery videos, photos, and sounds at the Internet Bird Collection
- Veery photo gallery at VIREO (Drexel University)