Photo: Wood Thrush, Linnet Tse/Audubon Photography Awards
Evelyn Novins
One of the most anticipated sounds of spring in northern Virginia is the exquisite song of the returning Wood Thrush. Unfortunately, this small, migratory songbird has been added to the list of birds at a tipping point by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative in its 2022 State of the Birds report. The report identifies 70 species of birds that have lost two-thirds of their population over the last 50 years and are projected to lose 50% of their population over the next 50 years. These birds are deemed at a “tipping point” for extinction. Without consequential intervention they are likely to become threatened, endangered or extinct. So, we have work to do if we are to continue to hear the lovely Wood Thrush in our area.
Wood Thrush, Lance Leonhardt/Audubon Photography Awards
Recognizing the Wood Thrush
But first, if you are not yet familiar with this lovely singer, a little introduction.
Click here to listen to the beautiful song of the Wood Thrush.
The Wood Thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, can be mistaken easily for a number of other brown thrushes, or even Ovenbirds. But close examination shows a reddish-brown head, back, and wings and a well-rounded white belly spotted with black dots, characteristics that help distinguish it from other brown thrushes. In addition, the Wood Thrush has a bold, white eye-ring and pinkish legs! As a thrush, it has the stance of our familiar American Robin and the mesmerizing song of a thrush. The male can actually sing pairs of notes together, the pit-pit-pit call before roosting, as well as nearly 50 other songs.
The Wood Thrush’s nest is built by the female in a young tree or shrub. It is similar to a robin’s nest with a layer of mud set into a cup-shaped nest. The outside is made of dead grasses and maybe even some cloth, cellophane or paper. The male helps with feeding the young, giving the female time to start another nest and brood. Nearly half of mated pairs raise two broods.
How You Can Help
The primary cause of the decline in population is loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation, both in its breeding grounds (which include northern Virginia), and in Central and South America where it spends the winter. So, helping requires preserving habitat both here and on the birds’ wintering ground.
The Wood Thrush prefers mixed forests where there are large trees with a well-shaded understory and abundant leaves where the bird can forage for insects. While many of our northern Virginia parks provide more fractured habitat, the bird does breed in some wooded suburban areas. It feeds on many insects, including ants, crickets, moths, beetles, and spiders as well as snails and snail shells. Snail shell is particularly necessary for the breeding female. Reports indicate that declining calcium in the shells due to acid rain (which leeches the necessary calcium) may also contribute to the decline of the Wood Thrush population.
Not all of the threats are easy to address on a local level, but there are some actions we can take. Minimizing pesticide use at our homes reduces the overall loss of insect life that the thrushes need to survive in our wooded parklands. Educating our neighbors about the need for effective deer management to prevent loss of forest understory that Wood Thrushes need for foraging is also important. And, while acid rain is a problem not easily addressed at the local level, we can continue to advocate for sensible energy policies that reduce acid rain.
We also can help the Wood Thrush on its wintering grounds by supporting certain agricultural choices. The birds’ wintering grounds in Central and South America suffer from habitat loss just like our northern forests. The tropical rainforests in Central America have been compromised by extreme habitat loss as forests are replaced by agricultural landscapes. But some growers are helping. Shade-grown coffee and hardwood plantations offer good habitat that can substitute for tropical rainforest. Studies are showing that these environments can provide sufficient fuel to build the fat reserves necessary for these birds to migrate back here to breed.
We can support the farmers of shade-grown coffee by purchasing their products. Their agricultural choice increases habitats for migratory birds such as the Wood Thrush as well as many other songbirds. To ensure that the coffee you buy helps songbirds, make sure that the brand meets the criteria set by the Smithsonian Institute, which operates a certification program to identify which coffee growers provide these beneficial environments. You can buy certified bird-friendly coffee from National Audubon or visit the Smithsonian Institute website to find other vendors who offer a plentiful variety of blends and roasts.
Where to Find Wood Thrush
This is the perfect month to hear and spot Wood Thrush returning from their winter home. The participants in the Monday morning bird walk run by the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park have already heard the thrush’s lovely song. Other local sites where you can hear or see them include Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Pohick Bay Regional Park, and Mason Neck State Park.
I’m going out to take a look!