A gray-cheeked thrush turned up in our magnolia tree this morning, perhaps after an overnight flight from Northern Canada. Breeding primarily in open boreal forests of Siberia, Alaska and Canada, these mid-sized thrushes migrate primarily across the eastern half of the U.S., heading for their wintering grounds in the Tropics of South America.
Based on my imperfect recollection, this was the first gray-cheeked thrush that I encountered on our Columbia property since we purchased the home, 24 years ago; it was thus a delight to observe our visitor. Like other members of its family, this bird consumes a mixed diet of insects and berries; unlike most of the others, it tends to remain in woodlands during migration and is seldom seen in open areas.
One of the most appealing aspects of birding is the opportunity to observe residents of distant ecosystems as they migrate through our home territory. Better yet, it reinforces the interdependence of life across our planet, encouraging us to support the protection of natural habitat in all regions of the globe.
