There are over 300 Thrushes in the world

By Al Lowe
Contributor

There are over 300 thrushes in the world, including the English Blackbird, and the Nightingale. In this great bird family, there are some of the very best singers in the world. Here in Northwestern Ontario, we have several birds of this family, and they do, indeed, live up to their singing reputation. They include the American Robin, known to everyone. Also the Bluebird, that beautiful and well-loved bird of eastern North America.
The ones which are confusing are the 'real' thrushes. All of these birds have brown backs, wings and tails, and all have spots on their breasts. It is not easy to tell them apart unless you can get a good long look at them through the field glasses.
There are five of these thrushes in the eastern half of the continent. Three of them are at home in Northwestern Ontario, and one breeds far to the north and migrates through here. The fifth one breeds further south but might be seen here once in a while.
The Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus) is the one which nests in the far north. It is very hard to tell this one from the native Suainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus), formerly called the Olive-backed Thrush. I would guess that most of you won't bother to try.
The Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) is easier; it has a reddish tail which is a prominent identification mark. And the Veery (Catharus fuscescens) has a yellowish-brown cast, with spots on its breast which are quite indistinct.
The fifth thrush is the one which you are not likely to see here, or at least not very often. It is the Wood Thrush (Hyocichla mustelina). It has a reddish head, very prominent black breast spots, and behaves much like a robin around dwellings.
Thrushes are all good singers. In the spring and summer, the woods are often turned into an ethereal forest with the sound of thrushes singing. The Veery has one of the strangest sounds of all birds. It has been described as the tinkling of bells combined with miniature tambourines. The song seems to spiral downward, and the Veery may sing for hours at a time. The other one which we commonly hear is Swainson's Thrush. Its song is also very beautiful and pleasing to the ear, often described as being flute like. It tends to spiral upward as it goes along.
The song of the Hermit Thrush is considered to be the most beautiful bird song in North America. It contains sweet, clear, bell-like tones, and can range over nearly two octaves. The Wood Thrush is also a fine singer. I can recall quiet evenings in southern Ontario, in the maple woods, where these birds made a concert of rare listening pleasure.
There is another thrush which is seen here once in a while. It is the Varied Thrush, a native of the west coast. It has an orange breast with a large dark bar across it. A few years ago, in the fall, one of these birds stayed in our yard for quite a few days. Apparently, they do wander some times, even across the continent. They tend to hang out with a flock of robins when they do this.
So, those are our thrushes. Watch for them, and listen for them in the spring and early summer. Beautiful singers, they are quite shy, and tend to slip away from you in the woods. Look for brown birds with spotted breasts. They quite often (but not always) turn out to be thrushes.