Swainson's Thrush
Swainson's ThrushSwainson's ThrushSwainson's ThrushSwainson's Thrush

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic

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

In 3 days <5%

8 Verified sightings at Managua
32,902 In all 100 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Swainson's Thrush

Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus), also called olive-backed thrush, russet-backed thrush, and salmonberry bird is a medium-sized thrush. It is a member of genus Catharus and is typical of it in terms of its subdued coloration and beautiful, ascending flute-like voice. Swainson's thrush was named after William Swainson, an English ornithologist.

The genus name Catharus comes from the Ancient Greek katharos, "pure or clean" and refers to the plumage of the orange-billed nightingale-thrush C. aurantiirostris. The specific ustulatus is Latin for "burnt", from urere, "to burn".

The breeding habitat of Swainson's thrush is coniferous woods with dense undergrowth across Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States; also, deciduous wooded areas on the Pacific coast of North America. These birds migrate to southern Mexico and as far south as Argentina. The coastal subspecies migrate down the Pacific coast of North America and winter from Mexico to Costa Rica, whereas the continental birds migrate eastwards within North America (a substantial detour) and then travel southwards via Florida to winter from Panama to Bolivia. Swainson... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:28

United States · 2026

© Ed Pandolfino · XC1153740 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:11

United States · 2024

© Denis Dujardin · XC1056038 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Nocturnal flight call0:07

Canada · 2023

© David Tattersley · XC812152 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~70%
2 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~60%
3 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~60%
4 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
5 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
6 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
7 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
8 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
9 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
10 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
11 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
12 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~30%
13 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
14 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
15 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~20%
16 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
17 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~20%
18 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
19 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
20 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
21 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
22 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
23 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
24 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
25 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
26 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
27 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
28 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
29 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
30 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
31 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
32 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
33 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
34 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
35 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
36 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
37 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
38 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
39 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
40 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
41 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
42 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
43 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
44 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
45 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
46 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
47 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
48 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
49 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
50 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
51 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
52 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
53 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
54 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
55 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
56 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
57 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
58 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
59 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
60 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
61 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
62 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
63 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
64 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
65 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
66 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
67 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
68 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
69 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
70 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
71 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
72 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
73 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
74 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
75 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
76 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
77 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
78 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
79 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
80 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
81 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
82 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
83 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
84 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
85 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
86 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
87 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
88 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
89 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
90 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
91 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
92 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
93 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
94 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
95 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
<5%
96 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
97 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
98 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
99 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
100 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
2 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Bogota 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
4 Vancouver 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Medellín 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
6 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Havana 🇨🇺 Cuba
~10%
10 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 National Zoological Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Closest Relatives at Managua

Clay-colored Thrush
LC

Clay-colored Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus grayi

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Great-tailed Grackle
LC

Great-tailed Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Tropical Kingbird
LC

Tropical Kingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Great Kiskadee
LC

Great Kiskadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Blue-gray Tanager

Blue-gray Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thraupis episcopus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Cinnamon-bellied Saltator
LC

Cinnamon-bellied Saltator

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saltator grandis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Rufous-backed Wren
LC

Rufous-backed Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylorhynchus capistratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Social Flycatcher
LC

Social Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Melodious Blackbird
LC

Melodious Blackbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dives dives

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Yellow Warbler
LC

Yellow Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga petechia

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Northern Yellow Warbler

Northern Yellow Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga aestiva

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Streak-backed Oriole
LC

Streak-backed Oriole

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Icterus pustulatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Swainson's Thrush in Managua?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Thrush sighting in Managua on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 125th most-seen of the 132 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Swainson's Thrush in Managua?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Swainson's Thrush in Managua on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Swainson's Thrush?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Swainson's 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.

Is Managua the best place to see a Swainson's Thrush?

40th of 42

Of the 42 cities where we can rate Swainson's Thrush sightings, Managua ranks 40th at under 5%. The best odds are in Quito (Ecuador, about 20%), Chicago (United States, about 20%) and Bogota (Colombia, about 10%).

Where does the Swainson's Thrush sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Swainson's Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Managua (8 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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