Family Thrushes (Turdidae)
Least Concern
Grey-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus)
Taxonomy
French: Grive à joues grises German: Grauwangen-Musendrossel Spanish: Zorzalito carigrís
Taxonomy:
Turdus minimus
Lafresnaye
, 1848,Bogotá, Colombia
.In the past placed in genus Hylocichla. Formerly treated as conspecific with C. bicknelli; intermediates between the two occur, and Newfoundland population of present species approaches C. bicknelli in size and coloration. Range of nominate race debatable; race aliciae only slightly different, and species sometimes treated as monotypic. Two subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution
C. m. aliciae
(S. F. Baird, 1858) – NE Siberia (E from R Kolyma), Alaska and Canada; non-breeding mainly N South America E of Andes, scarce in Greater Antilles.
C. m. minimus
(Lafresnaye, 1848) – E Canada (Newfoundland, possibly also N Quebec); non-breeding N South America E of Andes.
Descriptive notes
17–18·5 cm; 26–50 g. Nominate race is olive-tinged grey-brown above, dull whitish below, with slightly greyish face, indistinct pale eyering, dark brown... read more
Voice
Song, rarely in winter quarters and generally limited to 6-week period on breeding grounds, a... read more
Habitat
Breeds in taiga and adjacent tundra, where found in areas of medium-height shrubs with dense woody... read more
Food and feeding
Invertebrates, with some fruit. Stomachs of birds mostly on spring and autumn passages held 75% animal and 25% vegetable matter: beetles... read more
Breeding
Mid-May to early Aug in North America and Jun–Jul in Siberia; single-brooded. Monogamous. No data on territory size, but recorded... read more
Movements
Long-distance migrant. Departure from breeding grounds begins mid-Aug, mostly complete by early... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened. Indirect evidence suggests considerably smaller global population than C. ustulatus, given ratios of 1:5 (ringing records, Wisconsin), 1:4 (... read more
Catharus minimus
2003 Windsor, Trelawny 3 banded-2003/10; 1 banded-2005/6; 5 banded-2007/10; 1 banded-2008/10; 1 banded-2009/9; 2 banded-2009/10. Susan Koenig
2003 B/S Windsor, Portland. Nov 8, 2003. 1 netted & photographed in hand; wing chord = 103 mm. Gary Graves
2004 Font Hill W/life Sanctuary, St. Elizabeth. Apr 16, 2004. 1 obsv’d. H.Davis & Lynn Duda
2004 Long Mtn, St. Andrew. Banded. S. Koenig & C. Levy.
2013/04/01 1 Font Hill Nature Res. St. Elizabeth Garrett McDonald*
*First eBird record for Jamaica. Singing & seen on the edge of Logwood II near L 10! Singing whisper song almost continuously for 15 minutes while I was in the area, I viewed it at close range (about 25 feet) for 2 minutes straight; obvious Catharus thrush, clearly Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's due to overall brown coloration (w some slight reddish on tail and wings, but very slight), clean grayish wash on cheeks, and no buffy lores as Swainson's would show; song a descending cascade of whistles, very much reminded me of Veery, but higher-pitched, more nasal; Bicknell's ruled out based on song differences & I don't believe Bicknell's winters at low elevations in Jamaica - also, this sighting seems to align with migration timing of Gray-cheeked through the U.S.; I have a lot of experience with this species during spring migration in the U.S.