Townsend's Solitaire

Townsend's Solitaire

Myadestes townsendi

Silhouette: Francesco "Architetto" Rollandin · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Denver

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

2,494 Verified sightings at Denver
5,735 In all 22 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Townsend's Solitaire

Townsend's solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) is a medium-sized thrush, the only solitaire native to America north of Mexico. This solitaire ranges from southern Alaska, British Columbia and Alberta to northern Zacatecas in Mexico, preferring montane woodlands. During winter, it may move in search of food to lower elevations, including the Great Plains, northern interior Mexico, and even desert oases.

Townsend's solitaire reaches a length of approximately 8–9.5 inches (20–24 centimetres) and wingspan of 14.5 inches (37 cm); it weighs approximately 1.2 oz (34 g). It has a short, thick, blackish bill; a white eye ring; and gray plumage with a buffy wing stripe and edges of the flight feathers. The tail is long, tapered when shut, and edged with white. Juveniles are mottled gray and white.

It perches in a rather upright position, often high on a branch and often staying still for a long time. Though it has some similarities to the northern mockingbird, particularly as to the tail, its dark underparts, shape, size, and behavior are not similar.

It feeds primarily on berries and insects. The solitaire is amongst the most specialized of all North American... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:19

United States · 2026

© Greg Irving · XC1133658 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call1:18

United States · 2022

© Richard E. Webster · XC775752 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call1:23

United States · 2021

© Valerie Heemstra · XC689825 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
11 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
12 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
13 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
14 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
15 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
16 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
17 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
18 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
19 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
21 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
22 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
2 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
5 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Las Vegas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Seattle 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Townsend's Solitaire in Denver?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Townsend's Solitaire sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 2,494 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 83rd most-seen of the 299 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Townsend's Solitaire in Denver?

January

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Townsend's Solitaire in Denver on a given day, against under 5% in April to December, the lowest months. That is one of Denver's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 60 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see a Townsend's Solitaire?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Townsend's Solitaire sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Denver the best place to see a Townsend's Solitaire?

Among the best

Of the 14 cities where we can rate Townsend's Solitaire sightings, Denver ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Calgary (Canada, under 5%).

Where does the Townsend's Solitaire sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Townsend's Solitaire is recorded against all the birds logged in Denver (2,494 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.

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