Catharus fuscescens
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The veery (Catharus fuscescens) is a small North American thrush species, a member of a group of closely related and similar species in the genus Catharus, also including the gray-cheeked thrush (C. minimus), Bicknell's thrush (C. bicknelli), Swainson's thrush (C. ustulatus), and hermit thrush (C. guttatus). Alternate names for this species include Wilson's thrush (named so after Alexander Wilson) and tawny thrush. Up to six subspecies exist, which are grouped into the eastern veery (C. fuscescens fuscescens), the western veery or willow thrush (C. fuscescens salicicolus), and the Newfoundland veery (C. fuscescens fuliginosus).
The specific name fuscescens is Neo-Latin for "blackish", from Latin fuscus, "dark". The English name may imitate the call. This species measures 16–19.5 cm (6.3–7.7 in) in length. Its mass is 26–39 g (0.92–1.38 oz), exceptionally up to 54 g (1.9 oz). The wingspan averages 28.5 cm (11.2 in). Each wing measures 8.9–10.4 cm (3.5–4.1 in), the bill measures 1.2–1.9 cm (0.47–0.75 in) and the tarsus is 2.7–3.25 cm (1.06–1.28 in). The veery shows the characteristic under-wing stripe of Catharus thrushes. Adults are mainly light brown on the upperparts... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 10 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Veery sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 3,528 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 99th most-seen of the 314 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Veery in Chicago on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of Chicago's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 50 mm in January.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Veery sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 22 cities where we can rate Veery sightings, Chicago ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in New York City (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Catharus
The closest relatives of the Veery that you can see in Chicago (genus Catharus, Brown Thrushes and Nightingale-Thrushes) are Swainson's Thrush (about 20%) and Hermit Thrush (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Veery is recorded against all the birds logged in Chicago (3,528 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.
