| Common Name | Gray-cheeked Thrush |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Catharus minimus |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 09/20/2020 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | C. J. Frankiewicz |
| Mailing Address | 1173 E Clarendon Rd N Clarendon, VT 05759-9659 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 09/21/2020 |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 0 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 0 |
| Place Name | Forest Road 10 just before Devil's Den |
| Township | Mount Tabor |
| County | Rutland |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 02:39 PM |
| Length of Time Observed | 5 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 35 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 25 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Clear and sunny although we were in the shade of trees. |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Leupold 10 X 42 binoculars, "Pinnacles" maybe. |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | None. Life bird. Familiar with Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Dirt Forest Service Road 10 in Green Mountain National Forest. Wooded on both sides with ledge on left and ravine on right. |
| Behaviors Observed | Just like the 19 Swainson's Thrushes, the 7 Hermit Thrushes, and the 6 thrush species (that I couldn't get the binoculars onto fast enough) over almost five miles (estimated) of Forest Service Roads 10, 60, and 30, the Gray-cheeked Thrush was also on the dirt road. I was able to glass it there from the car. It flew off the road to a perch where I got a second and prolonged good look from outside the car. |
| Description of Vocalizations | None. |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | Early on Forest Service Road 10 I had seen three birds on the dirt road ahead of me. They appeared to be thrushes and I consulted my ancient Peterson's to confirm they were Swainson's Thrushes: Bold eye ring, buff on cheeks and breast among spots, brown back with no rust on tail or anywhere. No tail wagging. I drove slowly and turned up Forest Service Road 60 and saw more Swainson's and some Hermit Thrushes: Rust on tail and tail wagging with spots on breast. Sightings of these two thrushes continued when I got back onto Forest Service Road 10 and onto Forest Service Road 30 and back onto Forest Service Road 10 going generally east. I repeatedly consulted Peterson's to be sure and got familiar fast having seen 19 Swainson's Thrushes and 7 Hermit Thrushes. Just before Devil's Den on Forest Service Road 10, I spotted another in the road which, through the binoculars, did not have an eye ring. Hmmm! No buff on cheek and no buff on chest. This ruled out Swainson's. No rust on tail or anywhere. No tail wagging. This ruled out Hermit Thrush. Checking Peterson's again, found Gray-cheeked Thrush, and it matched! I went back and forth between the bird and the book. It was slightly larger than the Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes, of which I had seen 19 and 7, respectively. Also saw 6 that I could not get the binoculars on fast enough. The Gray-cheeked Thrush was the last thrush seen before I turned around. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Slightly larger than Swainson's Thrush and Hermit Thrush. (Bicknell's Thrush is slightly smaller than these two.) |
| Head | No eye ring. Brown crown and nape, both unmarked. |
| Feet & Bill | Didn't note. |
| Upper Back | Brown, unmarked. |
| Lower Back & Rump | Brown, unmarked. |
| Wings | Brown, unmarked. |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Heavily spotted on upper breast like Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes. No buff across spots. |
| Tail | Brown, unmarked. And it didn't wag. |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | No eye ring and no buff on cheek and no buff on chest ruled out Swainson's Thrush. No rust on tail or anywhere. No tail wagging. This ruled out Hermit Thrush. This thrush was slightly larger than Swainson's Thrush and Hermit Thrush. |
| Other Notes & Comments | Age or sex not determined. My eBird report was made from my voice recorder that I spoke into while observing the bird. This RBSD made from my eBird report. The only thing added was that Bicknell's Thrush is slightly smaller than Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes which are slight smaller than a Gray-cheeked Thrush. Voice recording deleted after I compiled my eBird report. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | During the Observation |
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