Gray-cheeked Thrush
(Catharus minimus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B - Secure Breeding SNA - No Status Rank |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Gray-cheeked Thrush is a plump, medium-sized thrush. It is a long-distance migrant, breeding in far northern Canada and wintering in South America. It migrates through Minnesota in early May to early June and late August to mid-October. It is the least known of the thrushes due to its remote breeding range. Adults are 7″ to 8″ in length and have a 13″ wingspan. The head, upperparts, and tail are grayish-brown. The face is entirely gray with no buff coloration. There is an inconspicuous, partial, pale eye ring that may not always be visible. The flanks are light grayish-brown and the underparts are white. The breast is heavily spotted. |
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Size |
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7″ to 8″ in length 13″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Migration: Forests, forest borders, open woodlands, parks, and suburbs |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Early May to early June and late August to mid-October |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Insects, insect larvae, and berries |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Uncommon migrant, occasionally locally common migrant |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Turdidae (thrushes) | ||
Genus |
Catharus (brown thrushes and nightingale-thrushes) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Northern Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus minimus) Western Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus aliciae) |
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Synonyms |
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Hylocichla aliciae |
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| Visitor Photos | |||
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| Ramona Abrego | |||
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
| Slideshows | ||
| Gray-cheeked Thrush JMC Nature Photos |
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| Gray-cheeked Thrush Cory Gregory |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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| Other Videos | |||
| GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH Catharus minimus Rob Curtis |
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About
Jun 12, 2016 Catharus minimus = GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH at Montrose Point, Chicago, May 2016. photo gallery at http://theearlybirder.com/thrushes/gc-thrush/index.htm |
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| Gray-cheeked Thrush (Muscicapidae: Catharus minmus) Carl Barrentine |
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About
May 14, 2012 Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (13 May 2012). |
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| Grey-cheeked Thrush Pete Hines |
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About
Jul 5, 2018 Grey-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) at Old Cut, Long Point, Ontario, Canada, on 9th May 2018. Filmed with a Nikon CoolPixP900. For more information about this species see the following links https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gray-cheeked_Thrush http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/grey-cheeked-thrush-catharus-minimus/distribution |
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| Visitor Sightings | ||||
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| Ramona Abrego 5/10/2019 |
Location: Becker County |
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
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Created: 8/23/2020
Last Updated: