When you look at this Northern Waterthrush you might think, “gee, it looks kind of like a robin”. Indeed it’s body shape and stance is much like a robin. And since American Robins are members of the trush family, and this bird is called a ‘waterthrush’, you might come to a logical decision that it is a thrush of some sort. Not so as this bird is a member of the warbler family.

In addition to looking like thrushes they also get around by walking on the ground, something you see robins do. As they walk they ‘bob’ their tails which remind more of sandpipers than warblers.

Northern Waterthrush are also unusual because of where the extremes of habitat they choose. The Smithsonian Museum’s ‘Migratory Center’ describe this extreme habitat change as follows:

• Summers are spent amid the swamps and sluggish rivers of the far north’s forests, with beavers, moose, and bears for neighbors. In winter, they head south to tropical swamps, trading northern conifers for southern mangroves. The thrushes get a whole new set of neighbors including boa constrictors, manatees, iguanas, and fish-eating bats.

They do favor areas with water and are usually found in the areas with some water such as slow moving streams, ponds, and wetlands. They are often at water’s edge where they use their bills to probe and look under leaves for insects. Although they are widespread they are not easily seen as they tend to stay in or near cover.

Northern Waterthrush are usually seen during migration. They migrate through most of the lower 48 states and parts of Canada during spring and fall as shown on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology range map below:

Northern Waterthrush look similar to a related warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush. But it’s eyestripe isn’t as wide and doesn’t extend as far back to it’s nape as it does on Louisiana Waterthrush, it’s legs are not as pink, it’s throat is usually striped and some may be less white on it’s underparts.  Louisiana Waterthrush are generally found in Eastern U.S. areas.

{ 0 comments }