Editing Swainson's thrush

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Catharus ustulatus -North Dakota-8a.jpg
| image_caption = 
| image2 = Catharus ustulatus - Swainson's Thrush XC142624.ogg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 18 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=''Catharus ustulatus'' |volume=2018 |page=e.T103881682A132046297 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T103881682A132046297.en |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Catharus
| species = ustulatus
| authority = ([[Thomas Nuttall|Nuttall]], 1840)
| synonyms = ''Hylocichla swainsonii''
| range_map = Catharus ustulatus map.svg
| range_map_caption = {{leftlegend|#FF7F2A|Breeding}}{{leftlegend|#FFDD55|Migration}}{{leftlegend|#5F8DD3|Nonbreeding}}
}}

'''Swainson's thrush''' ('''''Catharus ustulatus'''''), also called '''olive-backed thrush''', '''russet-backed thrush''', and '''[[salmonberry]] bird''' is a medium-sized [[Thrush (bird)|thrush]]. It is a member of genus ''[[Catharus]]'' and is typical of it in terms of its subdued coloration and beautiful, ascending flute-like voice. Swainson's thrush was named after [[William Swainson]], an [[England|English]] [[ornithologist]].

==Etymology==
The genus name ''Catharus'' comes from the [[Ancient Greek]] {{Lang|grc-Latn|katharos}}, "pure or clean" and refers to the plumage of the [[orange-billed nightingale-thrush]] ''C.&nbsp;aurantiirostris''. The specific ''ustulatus'' is [[Latin]] for "burnt", from {{Lang|la|urere}}, "to burn".<ref name=job>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher= Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n94 94], 397}}</ref>

==Habitat==
The breeding [[habitat]] of Swainson's thrush is [[conifer]]ous woods with dense undergrowth across [[Canada]], [[Alaska]], and the northern United States; also, [[deciduous]] wooded areas on the [[Pacific]] coast of [[North America]].

==Range and distribution==
These birds [[bird migration|migrate]] to southern [[Mexico]] and as far south as [[Argentina]]. The coastal [[subspecies]] migrate down the Pacific coast of North America and winter from [[Mexico]] to [[Costa Rica]], whereas the continental birds migrate eastwards within North America (a substantial detour) and then travel southwards via [[Florida]] to winter from [[Panama]] to [[Bolivia]]. Swainson's thrush is a very rare vagrant to western [[Europe]]. It has also occurred as a vagrant in northeast Asia.<ref>Brazil, Mark (2009) ''Birds of East Asia'' {{ISBN|978-0-7136-7040-0}} page 402</ref>

==Threats==
{{No footnotes|section|date=December 2023}}
This species may be displaced by the [[hermit thrush]] where their ranges overlap. Possibly, the latter species adapts more readily to human encroachment upon its habitat. At least in the winter quarters, Swainson's thrush tends to keep away from areas of human construction and other activity.

==Description==
This species is {{convert|16|–|20|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length. The wingspan averages at {{convert|30|cm|in|abbr=on}} and the wing chord is {{convert|8.7|-|10.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}. The bill measures {{convert|1.5|-|1.9|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and the tarsus is {{convert|2.5|to|3.1|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. This species' body mass can range from {{convert|23|to|45|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Thrush/lifehistory|title=Swainson's Thrush}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recNum=BD0268|title=eNature: FieldGuides: Species Detail|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305215258/http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?recnum=BD0268|archive-date=2012-03-05}}</ref><ref>''Thrushes'' by Peter Clement. Princeton University Press (2001), {{ISBN|978-0-691-08852-5}}</ref> This thrush has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of ''Catharus'' thrushes. Adults are brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white with brown on the flanks; the breast is lighter brown with darker spots. They have pink legs and a light brown eye ring. Birds in the east are more olive-brown on the upperparts; western birds are more reddish brown. This bird's song is a hurried series of flute-like tones spiralling upwards.

==Diet==
They forage on the forest floor, also in trees.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1=Wiley | first1=S. | last2=Kannan | first2=R. | last3=James | first3=D. | last4=Deshwal | first4=A. | date=2015 | title=Foraging behavior of Swainson's thrushes (''Catharus ustulatus'') during spring migration through Arkansas | journal=Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science | volume=69 | doi=10.54119/jaas.2015.6917 | doi-access=free }}</ref> Swainson's thrushes mainly eat insects, fruits and berries.<ref>Out of the wide range of fruit eaten by this bird, those of ''[[Cymbopetalum mayanum]]'' ([[Annonaceae]]) and especially ''[[Trophis racemosa]]'' ([[Moraceae]]) are well-liked whenever available in the winter quarters. However, they are generally not taken from feeders or disturbed habitat: Foster (2007)</ref> They make a cup nest on a horizontal tree branch.

Its song is said by local tribes to make [[salmonberries]] ripen,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Joseph |first=Leigh |title=The Gifts of Yetwánaý (Salmon Berry) |url=https://www.leighjoseph.com/blog/salmonberry |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Leigh Joseph (Styawat), Ethnobotanist|date=24 April 2017 }}</ref> including the [[Saanich people]] who claim the bird says, "''xwexwelexwelexwelexwesh!''" meaning "ripen, ripen, ripen, ripen!" A similar belief appears among the [[Tlingit]], [[Haida people|Haida]], [[Haisla people|Haisla]], [[Oweekeno]], [[Kwakwakaʼwakw|Kwakwaka'wakw]], Nuu-Chah-Nulth, [[Ditidaht First Nation|Ditidaht]], [[Sḵwx̱wú7mesh]], and the [[Straits Salish]] people.{{citationneeded|date=March 2025}}

==Subspecies==

Four subspecies are recognised, ''Cathartus ustulatus alame'', ''C.&nbsp;u. swainsoni'', ''C.&nbsp;u. ustulatus'' and ''C.&nbsp;u. oedicus''. Subspecies ''Cathartus ustulatus alame'' and ''C.&nbsp;u. swainsoni'' summer east of the [[British Columbia]]n [[Coast Mountains]], the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]] and the [[Sierra Nevada]], and ''C.&nbsp;u. ustulatus'' and ''C.&nbsp;u. oedicus'' summer west of these ranges. There is a small area of overlap in the Coast Mountains. Recent [[molecular systematics]] work<ref>Ruegg & Smith (2002)</ref> confirms that these two pairs of subspecies form two genetically distinct [[clade]]s, referred to as the continental and coastal clades, which diverged during the Late [[Pleistocene]] era, probably about 10,000 years ago as the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]] came to its end and habitats shifted across North America.

The genetic differences between the subspecies, and the circuitous migratory route of the continental birds, strongly suggest that these species underwent a rapid range expansion following the end of the last [[ice age]], with populations originally summering in the south-east of North America expanding their ranges northwards and westwards as the ice retreated. Details of the molecular genetic analysis support the hypothesis of rapid expansion of both coastal and continental populations. The current migratory routes of the continental birds, especially the western populations, are not optimal in ecological terms, and presumably represent an inherited, historical route pattern that has not yet adapted to the birds' modern population locations.

These results notwithstanding, analysis of [[mtDNA]] [[cytochrome b|cytochrome ''b'']] and [[NADH dehydrogenase]] [[Protein subunit|subunit]] 2 as well as [[nuclear DNA|nuclear]] [[fibrinogen|β-fibrinogen]] [[intron]] 7 [[DNA sequence|sequence]] data<ref>Winker & Pruett (2006)</ref> shows that Swainson's thrush is the most ancient North American species of its genus; it is not closely related to other ''Catharus'' and the outward similarities with the other North American species are due to [[convergent evolution]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Swainson’s Thrush.jpg|Swainson's thrush on South Padre Island, Texas
File: Swainson’s_Thrush_Tex.jpg |On South Padre Island, Texas
File:Catharus ustulatus Charlie Lake.jpg|A Swainson's thrush in British Columbia
</gallery>

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* Foster, Mercedes S. (2007): "[http://journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=936412 The potential of fruiting trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico.]" ''Bird Conservation International'' '''17'''(1): 45–61. <small>{{doi|10.1017/S0959270906000554}}</small> 
* Ruegg, K. C., & Smith, T.B. (2002). "[http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1691041&blobtype=pdf Not as the crow flies: a historical explanation for circuitous migration in Swainson's thrush (''Catharus ustulatus'').]" ''[[Proceedings of the Royal Society#Proceedings of the Royal Society B|Proc. R. Soc. B]]'' '''269'''(1498) 1375–1381. <small>{{doi|10.1098/rspb.2002.2032}}</small>  
* Winker, Kevin & Pruett, Christin L. (2006): "[https://web.archive.org/web/20071025135127/http://www.uaf.edu/museum/bird/personnel/KWinker/Catharus%20Auk%202006.pdf Seasonal migration, speciation, and morphological convergence in the avian genus ''Catharus'' (Turdidae).]" ''[[Auk (journal)|Auk]]'' '''123'''(4): 1052–1068. [Article in English with Spanish abstract] [[Digital Object Identifier|DOI]]: 10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123[1052:SMSAMC]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext]

==External links==
{{Commons category|Catharus ustulatus|Swainson's thrush}}
{{Wikispecies|Catharus ustulatus}}
* [https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Thrush Swainson's Thrush Species Account] – Cornell Lab of Ornithology
* [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i7580id.html Swainson's Thrush – ''Catharus ustulatus''] – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
* [http://www.naturesongs.com/trogpeuc.html#turd Examples of ''Turdidae'' Thrush calls] – naturesongs.com
* {{EBirdSpecies|swathr|Swainson's Thrush}}
* {{VIREO|Swainson's+Thrush|Swainson's thrush}}
* {{IUCN_Map|103881981|Catharus ustulatus}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q545006}}

[[Category:Catharus|Swainson's thrush]]
[[Category:Native birds of Alaska]]
[[Category:Birds of Canada]]
[[Category:Native birds of the Northwestern United States]]
[[Category:Wintering birds of South America]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1840|Swainson's thrush]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Thomas Nuttall]]