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Hylocichla mustelina
Plate — illustration to come
Summer breederNative · New Jerseydeclining

Wood Thrush

Hylocichla mustelina

Turdidae

The bird that made every American nature writer sound sentimental. The Wood Thrush's flute-like song is the sound of an intact eastern hardwood forest in June. Warm rust-brown above with black-spotted white breast and belly. New Jersey Species of Special Concern — population has declined roughly 45% since 1966.

Arrives from Central America in May; departs September/October.

Identify by

How to spot one.

  • 7.5–8.3 inches — larger than a robin, plumper than other thrushes

  • Warm rust-cinnamon head and back

  • Bold black spots on a white breast and flanks

  • White eye ring around a dark eye

  • Pale pink legs

Voice

What it sounds like.

Ethereal three-part flute-like phrase: 'ee-o-lay' — the second syllable rising and the third splitting into two harmonized notes at once (the syrinx produces both). One of the most acoustically complex songs of any American bird.

Life & behavior

How it lives.

Forest-interior breeder — needs large, unfragmented tracts of mature deciduous forest. Ground forager, tossing leaf litter with the bill to find invertebrates. Highly vulnerable to nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds in fragmented forests.

At a glance

The spec sheet.

Status
Summer breeder
Size
7.5–8.3 inches
Present in NJ
May – October
Native to NJ
Yes
Conservation status
declining
Family
Turdidae
Diet

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, caterpillars, ants, moths, crickets

  • Earthworms, snails

  • Spiders

  • Native fruits as they ripen in late summer

Fall / winter

  • Migrates to Central America (Yucatan, Belize, Honduras) for winter

  • In fall, before migration: fatty native berries — spicebush, black cherry, elderberry, blueberry, holly, dogwood, pokeweed, Virginia creeper

Plants it uses

What it needs.

Native plants that feed this bird or provide shelter. Names in hydrangea link to the plant’s Field Guide entry.

  • Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

    Fruit / berry source

  • Wild black cherry

    Fruit / berry source

  • Highbush Blueberry

    Fruit / berry source

  • Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

    Fruit / berry source

  • Arrowwood Viburnum

    Fruit / berry source

  • Virginia Creeper

    Fruit / berry source

  • Mature deciduous forest

    Cover / habitat

Conservation

Declined ~45% since 1966. Primary drivers: forest fragmentation (increases Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism and edge predation), tropical deforestation on wintering grounds, and pesticide use suppressing insect prey.

Sources

Hartshorn Arboretum · New Hope Bird Alliance · NJ Conservation Foundation

More in this group

Other summer breeders.