Thrush: Wood, Bicknell's, or Hermit? (1 Viewer)

[jward]

Hello all gurus,

Please let me know your opinion on this thrush. My ID skills are atrocious, but I'm leaning towards a Wood thrush. Something about the bill is sending me away though.. Too flat?

Spotted this one in the late morning while hiking along a stream/small river in the Catskills region of Southern New York this Saturday (overcast, with impending heavy rain). He popped up on this fir tree to see what all the commotion was about. He paused enough for me to snap this poor shot, then flew a short distance away, never to be seen again...

Jarrod

 

[Grousemore]

I'd say Hermit Thrush.

 

[Darrell Clegg]

Jarrod,

My money would be on Gray Cheeked.

A Wood Thrush would have far bolder markings, and be a richer brown. It doesn't show the eye ring that Swainson's would have, and is doesn't appear dainty enough for Hermit - seeing the tail would help. It may well be Bicknell's but I'm afraid that being on this side of the pond I don't have enough experience to be able to tell them apart from Gray Cheeked.

Darrell

 

[mountain man]

I'm with Darrell, but you can't be sure of the eye-ring because of the light reflecting off the eye. It's not stuffed is it? ;-)

 

[Grousemore]

I reckon Gray Cheeked would be rare for that area, Hermit and Wood being more likely;
with the poor view offered by the photo and the habitat stated, Hermit fitted better.

 

[Katy Penland]

I think this bird is too gray to be a Hermit, the eastern races being even more warmly colored than our rather drab westerns. Wood thrush is a bright rufous on the back with bright bold spots and a very distinct (for a thrush) facial pattern.

Looks to me like a Swainson's but without more of the bird being seen, I don't know how to distinguish that from a Gray-cheeked or Bicknell's (both of which used to be lumped as Gray-cheeked). I'll leave that up to the east coast birders!