A brown wood thrush with a spotted chest standing in grass. — Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wood Thrush

Hylocichla mustelina

A spotted forest thrush with one of the most beautiful songs of any animal; the official bird of Washington, D.C.

Checking teacher reviews…

Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Wood Thrush

Wood thrushes are 7 to 8.5 inches long with a 13-inch wingspan. They have reddish-brown heads and white chests with dark spots like a Dalmatian. They breed in forests of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada and winter in southern Mexico and Central America. In summer they eat spiders, earthworms, snails, small salamanders and insects; calcium from snail shells helps females make eggs.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Hylocichla mustelina^[1]
Size: 7 to 8.5 inches long; about 13-inch wingspan.^[1]
Lifespan: Most live 1 to 2 years; the oldest known lived 8.^[1]
Diet: Spiders, earthworms, snails, small salamanders and insects; fruit in migration.^[1]
Habitat: Large, thick forests with moist ground.^[1]
Where it lives: Breeds in the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada; winters in southern Mexico and Central America.^[1]
Group life: Usually solitary outside the breeding season.^[1]
Babies: 2 to 4 pale blue eggs, incubated for 11 to 14 days.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2020).^[2]

Fun facts

The wood thrush is the official bird of Washington, D.C.^[1]
It can sing two notes at once, harmonizing with itself.^[1]
Its scientific name means 'weasel-colored woodland thrush.'^[1]

Vocabulary

syrinx: A bird's voice box.
thrush: A family of songbirds that includes robins and bluebirds.
anting: When a bird rubs ants on its feathers.
migrate: To travel from one region to another with the seasons.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Wood thrush.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/wood-thrush (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Hylocichla mustelina (Wood Thrush).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22708670/154163742 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

More Songbirds

Bali MynahLeucopsar rothschildiA critically endangered white songbird with a bright blue face mask, found in the wild only on part of the Indonesian island of Bali.Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbulaA bright orange-and-black songbird that weaves a hanging pouch nest; a baseball team is named after it.Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta variaA zebra-striped warbler that creeps along tree trunks like a nuthatch; its song sounds like a squeaky wheel.Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virensA yellow-faced warbler of northern forests that sings a buzzy 'zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee' from the treetops.Blue GrosbeakPasserina caeruleaA deep-blue songbird with a big bill and rusty wing bars, found in thickets across the southern United States.Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianusA small, loud, cinnamon-colored backyard bird whose song sounds like 'teakettle-teakettle-teakettle.'Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumA sleek, masked, fruit-loving bird with waxy red wing tips that wanders in flocks to find berries.Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichasA small marsh warbler whose males wear a black 'bandit' mask and sing 'witchety-witchety-witchety.'Crested OropendolaPsarocolius decumanusA black-and-yellow South American bird that weaves long hanging nests, with males that bow upside down to court females.Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarumA small, hard-to-spot grassland sparrow whose buzzy song sounds like an insect.Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensisA sleek gray backyard songbird, cousin of the mockingbird, named for its cat-like 'meow' call.Green JayCyanocorax yncasA bright green, yellow, blue and black jay from southern Texas to South America that uses sticks as tools to dig out insects.Indigo BuntingPasserina cyaneaA small, brilliant-blue songbird of fields and roadsides that migrates at night by the stars.Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnoliaA yellow-and-black warbler named after a magnolia tree, though it actually prefers spruce and fir forests.Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosA gray songbird famous for copying the songs of other birds and even frogs and dogs; a male may learn about 200 songs.Orchard OrioleIcterus spuriusThe smallest North American blackbird relative, a chestnut-and-black oriole that weaves hanging nests in shade trees.OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaA small forest warbler that walks on the ground and builds a domed nest shaped like an old-fashioned oven.Painted BuntingPasserina cirisOne of North America's most colorful birds: males are blue, red and green, called 'nonpareil,' or 'without equal.'Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarumA brown-and-yellow warbler that bobs its tail as it hunts on the ground and nests in northern bogs.Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceusA green woodland songbird with ruby-red eyes that holds a record for singing more than 22,000 songs in 10 hours.

Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusOne of North America's most common birds; males flash red shoulder patches and boldly defend their marsh territories.Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianusA black-and-white songbird whose males wear a bright rose-red patch on the chest; a cousin of the cardinal.Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivaceaA brilliant red-and-black songbird that hides high in the forest canopy; its song sounds like a robin with a sore throat.Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaA streaky brown sparrow heard across North America, with songs that vary from place to place.Superb StarlingLamprotornis superbusA small, shiny blue-green and orange East African starling that lives in family flocks where helpers raise chicks.Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatusA robin-shaped forest thrush with a flute-like, upward-spiraling song; nicknamed the 'mosquito thrush.'Taveta Golden WeaverPloceus castaneicepsA bright yellow East African weaver whose males weave fancy grass nests to impress females.Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrinaA tiny greenish warbler that only passes through Tennessee; it nests in Canada's boreal forest.Turquoise TanagerTangara mexicanaA small, shiny blue-and-black tanager from South American forests that lives in tight family flocks.White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollisA striped-crowned sparrow whose song sounds like 'Oh sweet Canada, Canada, Canada.'Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virensA big, bright-yellow songbird that hides in thickets, sings jumbled songs and holds food with its feet.Yellow-Rumped CaciqueCacicus celaA black-and-yellow South American bird that weaves hanging nests in colonies, often next to wasp nests for protection.Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronataNorth America's most abundant warbler, nicknamed 'butter-butt' for the bright yellow patch above its tail.