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Grey-cheeked Thrush | Catharus minimus
Grijswangdwerglijster | Zorzalito carigrís | Sabiá-de-cara-cinza
Grey-cheeked Thrush is the greyest of the North American Catharus thrushes. It breeds in the taiga and shrub tundra of north-eastern Siberia, Alaska and Canada and winters in north-western South America. In the guide area it lives mainly hidden in the undergrowth of lowland and foothill forest.
Voice
The call is a high, somewhat nasal, descending vee-er or quee-er, also at night on migration. The song, a high, fluty series rising at the end, is rarely heard in the guide area.
Recording: Seth Beaudreault (Toolik Field Station) — CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · xeno-canto
Identification
17–18 cm. The upperparts are cold greyish olive, without warm tones. The cheeks are grey, with an indistinct, narrow whitish eye-ring and no clear spectacles. The throat and breast are whitish, sometimes with a faint buff wash, and densely marked with dark spots; the belly is white and the flanks are grey. The lower mandible has a yellow to flesh-coloured base; the legs are pink. The sexes are alike.
Confusion species
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus has clear buff spectacles and buff cheeks and breast. Veery Catharus fuscescens is rufous-brown above, with a faintly spotted breast. The resident Catharus species of the guide area, such as Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus fuscater, have an orange bill and orange legs.
Habitat
Undergrowth and middle levels of lowland rainforest, foothill forest, secondary forest and forest edge, mainly below 1500 m, locally to about 2500 m, on migration also in gardens and scrub. It searches the forest floor for insects, spiders and earthworms and also eats fruit. It does not breed in the guide area.
Where the bird is most at home, classified by the vegetation units of the Andes and the west coast.
Range and movements
In Colombia a winter visitor in the lowlands and on the lower slopes of the Andes, and a passage migrant throughout the country. In Ecuador a winter visitor mainly in the Amazonian lowlands and on the lower eastern slope, scarce west of the Andes. In Peru a winter visitor mainly in the north and in the Amazonian lowlands. In Bolivia a scarce visitor. Not known as a regular visitor to the Galápagos. Breeds from north-eastern Siberia through Alaska and Canada to the north-eastern United States and winters in northern South America, south to the western Amazon Basin.
- Winter visitor (c. Oct–Mar)
- Passage (Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov)
- dark = core range, pale = thinly spread
How and when to look
In the winter months along shady trails in lowland forest and at the foot of the Andes, especially at dawn, when the birds feed on the forest floor. On migration in April also in parks and gardens.
Conservation status
Least Concern. Widespread over a large breeding range; because of its remoteness the population is little monitored.
Scientific name
Catharus minimus | (de Lafresnaye, 1848)
De Lafresnaye described the species in 1848 as Turdus minimus; because it was later moved to another genus, the author and year stand in brackets. The genus Catharus was introduced in 1850 by Bonaparte. The genus name comes from Greek katharos, 'pure, clean', referring to the plumage of the Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush (C. aurantiirostris). The species name comes from Latin minimus, 'smallest'. The specimen the first description was based on came from Bogotá, Colombia.