Catharus minimus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray-cheeked Thrush sighting in Katmai National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 64th most-seen of the 93 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Gray-cheeked Thrush in Katmai National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May and August–September, the lowest months. That is one of Katmai National Park's driest months, with about 80 mm of rain against 230 mm in December. April and October–February have too few records to rate.
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.
Among the best
Of the 37 parks where we can rate Gray-cheeked Thrush sightings, Katmai National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Denali National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gray-cheeked Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Katmai National Park (13 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.
