Catharus minimus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The gray-cheeked thrush (Catharus minimus) is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) 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 together with the veery and Bicknell's thrush; it forms a cryptic species pair with the latter. The gray-cheeked thrush is all but indistinguishable from Bicknell's thrush except by its slightly larger size and different song. The two were formerly considered conspecific. Of all the American spotted thrushes, the gray-cheeked has the most northern breeding range.
The gray-cheeked thrush is slightly larger than other Catharus thrushes, about 16 to 17 cm (6.7 in) in height and weighing between 26 and 30g. Wingspan ranges from 12.6-13.4 in (32-34 cm). The bird can be identified by its grayish face, partial pale eyering, drab gray-brown upperside and extensively dusky flanks. The area between the eye and the beak is grayish as well, but the area running from the beak to above the eye is grayish white. The gray-cheeked thrush is nearly identical to the Bicknell's Thrush.
There are two subspecies: the northern gray... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 3 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Gray-cheeked Thrush sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 2,388 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 116th most-seen of the 314 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray-cheeked Thrush in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in June–August and October–April, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gray-cheeked Thrush sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 23 cities where we can rate Gray-cheeked Thrush sightings, Chicago has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Havana (Cuba, under 5%) and Bogota (Colombia, under 5%).
Same genus: Catharus
The closest relatives of the Gray-cheeked Thrush that you can see in Chicago (genus Catharus, Brown Thrushes and Nightingale-Thrushes) are Swainson's Thrush (about 20%), Hermit Thrush (about 10%) and Veery (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gray-cheeked Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Chicago (2,388 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
