7 1/2". Back, head, wings grayish brown; dark brown spots on pale buffy throat and chest; belly white; tail often rusty reddish contrasting with olive brown back reminiscent of Hermit Thrush; cheeks gray; very thin, pale eye ring. Inner half of lower mandible yellow,compared to pale tan of Gray-cheeked Thrush. Once considered race of Gray-cheeked Thrush.
Song: nasal, rising at end: whee-wheeoo-ti-ti-whee. Call: down-slurred whee-ah.
High elevation evergreen forests and less commonly in cool maritime evergreen forests.
Breeds from southern Quebec and the Maritimes south to northern New England and northern New York.
A crepuscular bird, Bicknell's Thrush keeps mostly hidden in dense forest. . Summering in mountains of northeastern North America, it migrates to the Caribbean for the winter, and may be seen throughout the East while on migration. It is estimated that the entire population is less than 50,000 birds.
3-4 pale blue eggs, finely speckled with brown, in a bulky cup built of moss and twigs and lined with fine stalks of Horsehair Fungus and usually placed in a low conifer.Recently found to have a unique breeding system in which each female may have up to four males helping feed young and each young may have a different father.
