Hermit Thrush
Swamp Angel · Catharus guttatus
By the Birdfact teamChecked by
Nathan Cope
On this page11 sections
How to recognise it
The Hermit Thrush is a medium-small bird, distinguished by its reddish-chestnut tail that contrasts with its brown body. Its breast has dark spots against a white background, and there's a narrow but distinct white ring around the eye. The body is brown above and paler below.
Juveniles look similar to adults but can be identified by buff-colored spots on their wing feathers in fall. Males and females look the same.
Its size
Adults- Length
- 14–18 cm
- Wingspan
- 29–33 cm
- Weight
- 23–37 g
Its song and calls
The Hermit Thrush is renowned for its hauntingly beautiful song, often described as 'ethereal' or 'flute-like.' It begins with a clear, whistled note followed by a series of descending musical phrases.
Their call is a soft 'chuck' or a more emphatic 'chup' when alarmed.
- Song0:00 / 0:57
Recorded in Nova Scotia, Canada · July 2021
- Call0:00 / 0:16
Recorded in North Carolina, United States · January 2026
When and where to see it
OctoberPeak season
Most recorded in October
- 1. Illinois0.86%
- 2. Ontario0.84%
- 3. New Hampshire0.80%
- 4. New York0.78%
- 5. Maine0.74%
Each dot is a county, state or province: the bigger and darker, the larger the bird’s share of that place’s bird records that month. Grey dots: no regular records. The ringed point is the centre of the bird’s records this month; the arrow shows how it moved since last month, and the dashed loop its path through the year. “Arrivals” colours places where it becomes regular this month (orange) or is in its last regular month (grey). GBIF eBird Observation Dataset, 2019–2024. Map data: Natural Earth, US Census Bureau; place centres © OpenStreetMap contributors.
In your area
See when the Hermit Thrush is recorded in your county, state or province.
How often the Hermit Thrush turns up in the United States and Canada through the year, from birdwatchers' records.
United States
Resident · all year · most records in November
Canada
Summer visitor · regularly Apr–Feb · most records in October
Show as a table
| Month | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0.33% (regular) | 0.059% (regular) |
| February | 0.28% (regular) | 0.049% (regular) |
| March | 0.23% (regular) | 0.021% |
| April | 0.28% (regular) | 0.36% (regular) |
| May | 0.16% (regular) | 0.37% (regular) |
| June | 0.23% (regular) | 0.41% (regular) |
| July | 0.23% (regular) | 0.49% (regular) |
| August | 0.062% (regular) | 0.13% (regular) |
| September | 0.075% (regular) | 0.20% (regular) |
| October | 0.40% (regular) | 0.60% (regular) |
| November | 0.48% (regular) | 0.15% (regular) |
| December | 0.47% (regular) | 0.095% (regular) |
Worldwide: recorded regularly in 8 countries
Countries where it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024. Linked countries have their own bird list.
North America (8)
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made
Tips for seeing it
- Look for Hermit Thrushes in shaded, moist areas of forests
- Listen for their ethereal, flute-like song, especially at dawn and dusk
- Watch for their habit of raising and slowly lowering their tail
- In the US, they're easier to spot during migration in many areas
What it eats
Hermit Thrushes primarily feed on insects and small invertebrates during the breeding season. In fall and winter, they switch to a diet rich in berries and small fruits.
They forage by hopping on the ground and gleaning prey from leaves and bark.
Nesting and breeding
Hermit Thrushes form monogamous pairs during the breeding season, typically from May to July. Males attract females with their melodious songs and perform display flights.
The female builds a cup-shaped nest low in trees or shrubs, using twigs, leaves, and moss. She lays 3-5 pale blue eggs, which she incubates for about 12 days.
Both parents feed the nestlings, which fledge after 10-15 days. In the southern parts of their range, pairs often raise two broods per season.
Behaviour
Hermit Thrushes are often seen foraging on the ground, using a distinctive 'foot-quivering' behavior to startle insects. They are generally solitary birds, maintaining territories even in winter.
During the breeding season, males sing from high perches to defend their territory and attract mates.
Conservation
While the Hermit Thrush is currently listed as Least Concern, it faces threats from habitat loss and climate change.
Conservation efforts focus on preserving mature forests and reducing the use of pesticides that may affect their insect prey.
More photos
6 photos
Quick facts
- Length
- 14–18 cm
- Wingspan
- 29–33 cm
- Weight
- 23–37 g
- Lifespan
- 8–10 years · oldest recorded 10.8 years
- Family
- Thrushes
- Migration
- Short-distance migrant
- Global status (IUCN)
- Least Concern
- World population
- 72,000,000 mature individuals
- Population trend
- Stable
- Also called
- Swamp Angel
- Scientific name
- Catharus guttatus
Sources
4- 1BirdLife International. 2021. Catharus guttatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T22708667A137548137. Source (opens in a new tab)
- 2Meehan et al. 2018; Pardieck et al. 2018; Partners in Flight 2019
- 3Partners in Flight (2019) Source (opens in a new tab)
- 4Historical Longevity Records of North American Birds (1999) Source (opens in a new tab)
Checked by
Nathan Cope, founder and editor
Nathan founded Birdfact and leads its writers and contributors in the UK, the US and Canada. He has watched and studied birds for more than ten years, and checks every article and species guide before it’s published.