Brown Thrush Bird Identification

The wood thrush is a mostly brown member of the thrush family of birds that lives throughout most of the eastern states. This brown thrush has certain features and behaviors that help to identify it.

  1. Size

    • The wood thrush is a medium-sized bird, with a length of around 8 inches and a wingspan that can exceed a foot. The typical adult will weigh less than 1.7 oz.

    Colors

    • A wood thrush has a reddish-brown back and a white face, neck, breast and underparts. These white areas have multiple spots of brown and effectively camouflage the bird in its natural woodland habitat.

    Aggressive Behavior

    • The wood thrush will display aggression toward other birds that invade its territory, particularly blue jays and robins.

    Feeding Behavior

    • The wood thrush likes to hop along the forest floor and then stop to knock dead leaves around as it searches for its food, which consists of such things as caterpillars, ants, moths, beetles and other insects in addition to berries.

    Fun Facts

    • The singing voice of a wood thrush is capable of producing a beautiful melody. The brown thrush, however, is often a victim of the brown-headed cowbird, a species that lays its eggs in the wood thrush nest, allowing the unsuspecting thrush to raise its chicks.