Catharus guttatus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus) is a medium-sized North American thrush. It is not very closely related to the other North American migrant species of Catharus, but rather to the Mexican russet nightingale-thrush. The specific name guttatus is Latin for "spotted", though historically this species has been given 17 additional species or subspecies names by various authors, now all treated as synonyms.
This species measures 15 to 18 cm (5.9 to 7.1 in) in length, spans 25 to 30 cm (9.8 to 11.8 in) across the wings and weighs 18 to 37 g (0.63 to 1.31 oz). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 7.8 to 11.1 cm (3.1 to 4.4 in), the bill is 1.6 to 1.9 cm (0.63 to 0.75 in) and the tarsus is 2.7 to 3.3 cm (1.1 to 1.3 in). It is more compact and stockier than other North American Catharus thrushes, with relatively longer wings. The hermit thrush has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of Catharus thrushes. Adults are mainly brown on the upperparts, with reddish tails. The underparts are white with dark spots on the breast and grey or brownish flanks. They have pink legs and a white eye ring. Birds in the east are more olive-brown... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hermit Thrush sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 113th most-seen of the 161 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
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hermit Thrush in Elk Island National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hermit 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.
39th of 45
Of the 45 parks where we can rate Hermit Thrush sightings, Elk Island National Park ranks 39th at under 5%. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 40%), Kenai Fjords National Park (United States, about 40%) and Gros Morne National Park (Canada, about 40%).
Same genus: Catharus
The closest relatives of the Hermit Thrush that you can see in Elk Island National Park (genus Catharus, Brown Thrushes and Nightingale-Thrushes) are Swainson's 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 Hermit Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Elk Island National Park (32 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
