The Gray-cheeked Thrush is a small, shy bird about 6.3–6.7 inches (16–17 cm) long with a wingspan of 12.6–13.4 inches (32–34 cm).
It has an olive-brown head, back, and wings, pink legs, and a white belly that is speckled with dark brown spots.
The Gray-cheeked Thrush spends the summer in areas made up of small shrubs with a dense understory. It breeds in habitats that border the tundra.
The Gray-cheeked Thrush winters in the understory* of tropical forests.
*In a forest, the understory is the layer of plants and small trees that grows beneath the tall canopy trees but above the forest floor.
Most of the Gray-cheeked Thrush’s diet is made up of insects like beetles, weevils, ants, wasps, and caterpillars. It may also eat spiders, crayfish, sow bugs, and earthworms, and will also eat grapes, wild cherries, blackberries, raspberries, and other fruit.
The female Gray-cheeked Thrush builds the nest out of dried grasses mixed with mud to make the nest stronger. She lays 3-5 light greenish-blue eggs and incubates them for about two weeks.
Right after hatching, the young chicks cannot feed themselves and depend on their parents for food. The Gray-cheeked Thrush typically has one brood per season. Sometimes, it will lay a second brood if the first one fails to survive.
The Gray-cheeked Thrush is a seed spreader. When it eats fruit, it may not fully digest it and will spread the seeds when it poops.
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The Gray-cheeked Thrush does not breed in New Hampshire, but it may pass through the state during its migration to South America.
The Gray-cheeked Thrush is migratory. In the summer, it lives across Alaska and northern Canada.
During the winter, the Gray-cheeked Thrush migrates to northern South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil.
It can be spotted in much of the eastern U.S. during migration.
The Gray-cheeked Thrush is also found in eastern Russia.
