Photo Study Of A Varied Thrush

    The Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) is found in the damp, shaded coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. It is similar in habits to the American Robin, however, it is truly much more secretive. This beautiful visitor spent a week or so early this year in Allentown, PA. Wandering individuals turn up regularly far from home, wintering around feeders in the midwestern states, and occasionally one of these beautiful vagrants finds its way to the east coast. The bird is about 9.5 inches long with a wing span of about 16 inches.

   
A Varied Thrush showed up here in eastern Pennsylvania in mid-Winter and stayed for several weeks.
Adult Varied Thrushes have a distinctive breast-band, however, this first year male has, as yet, not developed his.

Dave DeReamus was curious about the lack of breast-band on this particular bird as well as some others that have been seen recently here in the east. He posted the question on ID Frontiers and Peter Pyle, an expert in northwestern birds replied, "The missing breast-band on this early 2009 bird is more of a pigment anomaly than anything based on molt/age/sex, although I have seen something similar 2-3 times before in photos and specimens. Both first-cycle and adult Varied Thrushes only molt once per year, in Aug-Sep on or near the breeding grounds."  (Added January 1, 2010)

For comparative purposes, a photo of another thrush, the American Robin, is shown below.

      © Howard B. Eskin 2009                                Please email your comments to hbeskin@voicenet.com