Townsend's Solitaire Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesTownsend's Solitaire
Adult
Medium-sized thrush with a long tail, a short bill, and a small rounded head. Gray overall with a prominent white eyering. Note buffy patches in the wing.
© Ryan O'Donnell / Macaulay LibraryArizona, January 08, 2017Juvenile
Round-headed thrush with a long tail. Juveniles are dark gray overall and heavily spotted with buff and white, giving them a scaly look.
© Andrew Johnson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, July 10, 2016Adult
Drinks water regularly by taking a small amount of water in its bill and tipping its head backwards.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryTexas, February 01, 1997Adult
Medium-sized thrush with a round head and long tail. Gray overall with a white eyering. Note white outer tail feathers, more noticeable in flight.
© Jesse Amesbury / Macaulay LibraryIdaho, February 23, 2017Adult
Buffy wing patches and white outer tail feathers are often prominent in flight.
© Darren Clark / Macaulay LibraryIdaho, October 21, 2018Adult
Often flicks its wings in a nervous fashion.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryArizona, February 01, 1997Adult
Adults are gray overall with a white eyering.
© Tony Dvorak / Macaulay LibraryPennsylvania, December 07, 2020Adult
In the winter, moves south or to lower elevations to feed on juniper berries which they aggressively defend.
© Fyn Kynd / Macaulay LibraryColorado, November 21, 2018Adult
Perches upright atop trees and shrubs to advertise their territories all year long. This video has no audio.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryMontana, January 01, 2000Habitat
Found in open pine, fir, and spruce forests in mountainous regions from about 1,100–11,500 feet elevation.
© Dave Slager / Macaulay LibraryWashington, July 01, 2017Adult
Perches upright giving them a long and slender appearance.
© Gregory Griffith / Macaulay LibraryColorado, July 01, 1994Similar SpeciesMountain Bluebird
Female/immature
Female/immature Mountain Bluebirds have faint blue tinges in the wings and tail and lack the buffy wingbars of Townsend's Solitaires.
© Joshua Covill / Macaulay LibraryMontana, April 09, 2017Similar SpeciesNorthern Mockingbird
Adult
Northern Mockingbirds are larger and paler gray-brown above with a paler belly. They also have large white wing patches and lack the white eyering of Townsend's Solitaire. Mockingbirds don't tend to perch as upright as Townsend's Solitaires do.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, December 07, 2016Similar SpeciesWestern Wood-Pewee
Adult/immature
Western Wood-Pewees are smaller and often show a peaked crown as opposed to the round headed look of the Townsend’s Solitaire. Western Wood-Pewees also have narrow whitish wingbars (not buffy) and lack an eyering.
© Brian Hoffe / Macaulay LibraryAlberta, June 19, 2017Similar SpeciesOlive-sided Flycatcher
Adult/immature
Olive-sided Flycatchers are smaller than Townsend's Solitaires and have a very distinctive vested look when seen head on. They also have longer bills and a slightly peaked crown relative to Townsend's.
© Mike V.A. Burrell / Macaulay LibraryOntario, May 24, 2013Similar SpeciesCanada Jay
Adult (Northern)
Canada Jays are larger than Townsend’s Solitaires, with white cheeks and without the solitaire's wingbars or eyering.
© Vitalii Khustochka / Macaulay LibraryManitoba, October 29, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Thrushes and Allies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Turdidae)
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