Among the most sublime of forest minstrels, the celebrated hermit thrush pours out exquisite resonating airs that share the harmonics of human musical scales.
The spot-breasted bird returns from the southern U.S. to arboreal understories and small clearings across Canada in spring. And while initially, a male sings to stake out breeding territory—up to three weeks ahead of the arrival of potential mates—his early dawn and evening serenades linger well into summer.
A hermit thrush ditty, just one to two seconds long, opens with a whistle, followed by a complex flourish of flute-like notes, performed in an almost infinite variety of arrangements.
During singing bouts, each male thrush cycles through a repertoire of up to 15 unique renditions, pausing for several seconds between each. Alternating between high and low frequencies, they order their songs in multiple patterns, by which rivals and potential mates identify and assess them, and then, in turn, engage with them.
Birdsong cheat sheet
Despite their virtuosity, the songsters cloister themselves like hermits, keeping out of sight in the undergrowth while they forage for insects. They even, at first, drive away females; the birds take several days to get acquainted before courting and nesting together.
Over a week or more, female hermits build nest cups of twigs, grass, needles, and moss on or near the ground. Nests are so well-concealed by evergreen seedlings, shrubs, clubmoss, or ferns that they‘re rarely found. Females lay three or four olive-sized, light blue eggs between mid-May and late June, tending them exclusively while their partners bring them food.
Chicks hatch 11 to 13 days after hens complete their clutch. Stoked by twice-hourly feedings from their parents, they leave the nest at 10 to 15 days old, usually in early to mid-summer.
This article was originally published in the June/July 2025 issue of Cottage Life.
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