Gray-cheeked Thrush Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A medium-sized, compact thrush with relatively short bill and long wings.

  Relative Size

  Slightly larger than an Eastern Bluebird, smaller than an American Robin.

  between sparrow and robin

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 6.3-6.7 in (16-17 cm)
    • Weight: 0.9-1.1 oz (26-30 g)
    • Wingspan: 12.6-13.4 in (32-34 cm)

  © Dick Dionne / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Grayish brown above (warmer brown in Atlantic Canada), grayish below, especially on the flanks, with dark stippling or spotting on breast and sides of throat. The face pattern is plain compared to other thrushes, with grayish lores and a faint, incomplete eyering.

• Behavior

  Gray-cheeked Thrushes forage by consuming fruit in trees (or on the ground) and taking invertebrate prey on the ground with a quick peck. This small thrush tends to remain hidden, making it difficult to observe.
• Habitat

  Breeds in willow-alder thickets and dense undergrowth in stands of spruce, balsam fir, other conifers, or cottonwood trees. Migrants and wintering birds occupy many habitat types, but tend toward well-developed understories and berry bushes.