Look closerBirds
Hermit thrush: the brown thrush that lingers into fall
When: October to November
The hermit thrush is a small brown thrush with a reddish tail, and it passes through in October and early November, lingering later than the other brown thrushes. Some stay into winter, feeding on wild berries.
Why this time of year
The southbound migration of hermit thrushes comes in October and early November, later than the other brown-backed thrushes: the look-alike Swainson's thrush passes through only until about mid-October. A few hermit thrushes stay all winter, eating berries.
How to notice it
- Walk slowly along a hedge, thicket, or woodland edge with berry-bearing shrubs such as multiflora rose, holly, or red cedar, and stop often to scan the lower branches and the ground beneath.
- Look for a plain brown thrush with a spotted breast and a tail that is redder than its back.
- If you startle one from the ground, it often lands on a low branch, flicks its wings, and slowly raises and lowers its tail.
- Keep still and quiet, and let the bird move on by itself.
Try this with kids: Can you find the brown bird whose tail is redder than its back? Does it lift its tail up and lower it slowly?
Word to know: A “thrush” is one of a group of medium-sized songbirds, many with brown backs and spotted breasts.
Sources
- massaudubon.orgMass Audubon Breeding Bird Atlas 1 species page: 'The southbound migration occurs in October and early November and takes most birds to the southern United States'; some linger into winter, especially on the southeastern coast; winter diet mostly berries and fruit (American holly, red cedar, multiflora rose).
- massaudubon.orgMass Audubon Breeding Bird Atlas 1, Swainson's Thrush: 'Swainson's Thrushes continue their southward movement through Massachusetts until about mid-October.'
- audubon.orgAudubon field guide: 'the Hermit Thrush migrates early in spring and late in fall; very little overlap in timing of migration with the other brown thrushes'; the only one likely to be seen in winter; eats many berries, especially in winter; red-brown tail contrasts with duller back; startled from the ground, it often perches low, flicking its wings and slowly raising and lowering its tail.
- explorer.audubon.orgAudubon Bird Guide explorer: hardier than other brown-backed thrushes, 'migrates north earlier in spring and lingers later in fall than' the others (fetched text cut off mid-sentence).
Checked against these sources on September 29, 2026.
In the guide for October, November