Thrushes Compared

I thought these two photos I took last month provided a nice comparative illustration of the differences between two of the common Catharus thrushes; Veery and Swainson's Thrush.

Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)

The VEER shows a lesser amount of chest-spotting in comparison with the SWTH. Although the SWTH is not posing well to show the mantle, it is still obvious that the SWTH has an olive-brown colouration compared with the red-brown tones of the VEER. The prominent eye-ring and "spectacles" is also apparent on the SWTH, while these features are absent on the VEER.

On a related point about aging these birds, the VEER is showing some white tips in the greater coverts which if I remember my Pyle correctly indicates this is a second year bird.