Pl. CLXXVI
The Birds · Plate CLXXVI
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Catharus minimus
Turdidae · Taxon 12883
| Length | Both sexes: 6.3–6.7 in (16–17 cm) |
| Wingspan | Both sexes: 12.6–13.4 in (32–34 cm) |
| Weight | Both sexes: 0.9–1.1 oz (26–30 g) |
Field marks
- Compact, medium-sized thrush with a round head, short straight bill, and relatively long wings
- Plain cool-gray face with gray lores and only a faint, incomplete eye ring
- Olive-gray to gray-brown upperparts, wings, and tail, without a contrasting rufous tail
- Whitish underparts with gray-washed flanks
- Dark spots or stippling across the throat sides and upper breast
- Pinkish legs and a slender dark bill with yellowish color at the lower-bill base
HabitatBreeds in dense willow or alder thickets and well-developed understory within boreal coniferous or mixed woodland, especially near the forest–tundra transition. During migration and winter it uses varied forests, second growth, thickets, plantations, and other sites with dense understory or fruiting shrubs.
BehaviorShy and often concealed; forages quietly on the ground or low in vegetation, taking invertebrates with quick pecks and eating fruit both on the ground and in trees. Males sing from low trees or shrubs, especially around dawn and dusk.
Palette
olive browncool graycreamy whitedark brownflesh pink