Veery

Taxobox
name = Veery
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Turdidae
genus = Catharus
species = "C. fuscescens"
binomial = "Catharus fuscescens"
binomial_authority = (Stephens, 1817)
synonyms ="Hylocichla fuscescens"

The Veery, "Catharus fuscescens", is a small thrush species. It is occasionally called Willow Thrush or Wilson's Thrush. This species is 16-18 cm in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of "Catharus" thrushes. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant species which also includes the cryptotaxa Gray-cheeked Thrush and Bicknell's Thrush (Winker & Pruett, 2006).

Adults are mainly light brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white; the breast is lighter brown with dark spots. They have pink legs; their eye ring is indistinct. Birds in the east are more cinnamon on the upperparts; western birds are more olive-brown.

Their breeding habitat is humid deciduous across southern Canada and the northern United States. They make a cup nest on the ground or near the base of a shrub.

These birds migrate to eastern South America. They are very rare vagrants to western Europe.

They forage on the forest floor, flipping leaves to uncover insects; they may fly up to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects and berries.

This bird has a breezy downward-spiralling flute-like song, often heard from a low but concealed location. The most common call is a "vee-er", which gave this bird its name.

This bird has been displaced in some parts of its range by the Wood Thrush. They also suffered occasionally from brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Photo gallery

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern

* Winker, Kevin & Pruett, Christin L. (2006): Seasonal migration, speciation, and morphological convergence in the avian genus "Catharus" (Turdidae). "Auk" 123(4): 1052-1068. [Article in English with Spanish abstract] DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123 [1052:SMSAMC] 2.0.CO;2 [http://www.uaf.edu/museum/bird/personnel/KWinker/Catharus%20Auk%202006.pdf PDF fulltext]

External links

* [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i7560id.html Veery - Catharus fuscescens] - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
* [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Veery.html Veery Species Account] - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
* [http://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/veery_info.htm Veery Information and Photos] - South Dakota Birds and Birding
* [http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=BD0266 Veery Catharus fuscescens photo with audio clip]