Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Northern Waterthrush

Despite its name, the northern waterthrush is a warbler and not a thrush and has the same migration habits of other warblers I've dealt with recently. It summers in large portions of Canada and Alaska and small portions of the northern U.S. It winters in southern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, the Caribbean and portions of Florida. 
Northern waterthrush range from Wikipedia.
It has a brown crown, white supercilium (stripe above the eye), brown to black streaking on the throat and underparts and brown back and wings. 
They typically winter in mangroves and summer in wet woodlands near water. Their diet consists of some water foods, including mollusks (such as snails), minnows and crustaceans as well as insects, spiders and worms. 


I saw this northern waterthrush in the North Woods of Central Park in New York City near a large pond. It was over the water, walking on branches and logs and wading in the water. 

2 comments:

  1. I know it isn't really a thrush, but your post makes me think of Thomas Hardy's poem about a thrush. Read here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44325/the-darkling-thrush

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    1. (Bob) Obviously a different setting, but a wonderful tribute to the thrush in an otherwise horrible setting.

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