Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Turdidae
The one thrush hardy enough to spend the winter. Hermit Thrushes are smaller, browner, and more secretive than the summer Wood Thrush — but they have the same magical, flute-like song, occasionally offered on warm winter days from a NJ thicket. Named for its solitary habits.
Arrives in October; some overwinter in NJ, others continue south. Departs by April for northern breeding grounds.
How to spot one.
5.5–7 inches, small thrush
Warm brown back, distinctly redder tail (the 'red-tailed thrush')
White breast with dark spots concentrated on chest
Prominent white eye ring
Habitually flicks tail up and slowly lowers it — a diagnostic behavior
What it sounds like.
Ethereal, breathy flute-like song similar to Wood Thrush but simpler — one clear note followed by cascading harmonies. Rarely sung in NJ; heard mostly on migration or in northern breeding forests.
How it lives.
Ground and shrub forager. In fall and winter, switches heavily from insects to native berries. Some individuals migrate all the way to Central America; others linger in NJ if berry supply is adequate.
The spec sheet.
- Status
- Migrant
- Size
- 5.5–7.1 inches
- Present in NJ
- January – December
- Native to NJ
- Yes
- Conservation status
- stable
- Family
- Turdidae
What it eats.
Diet often shifts dramatically between breeding season and the rest of the year — especially for insectivorous birds that pivot to native berries in fall and winter.
Summer / breeding season
Beetles, ants, caterpillars
Earthworms, snails, spiders
Wild strawberries in northern breeding grounds
Fall / winter
Persistent native berries: elderberry, pokeweed, serviceberry, grape
Sumac, dogwood, holly, cedar berries
Any invertebrates on warm days
Occasional suet at feeders
What it needs.
Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.
Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Fruit / berry source
Fruit / berry source
Fruit / berry source
Wild grapes, sumac, dogwood
Fruit / berry source
Dense thicket cover for winter roosting
Cover / habitat
Audubon Field Guide · Duke Farms