Birds — Songbirds
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus Declining
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Swainson’s Thrushes migrate thousands of miles from Central America, arriving in Washington in May.
They have an omnivorous diet of insects, berries, and soft fruits, and fill Northwest forests with their flute-like, spiraling song — heard far more often than the bird is seen.
Photographs · Swainson's Thrush
Swainson's Thrush is often found on red elderberry bushes with ripe berries
Tucked among the elderberry, where the ripening fruit will soon feed the southbound migration.
An elderberry in the bill — Swainson’s Thrushes eat insects, berries, and soft fruits
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus Declining
Nisqually NWR · South Puget Sound · June
Swainson's Thrush is often found on red elderberry bushes with ripe berries
Photographed from the public trail, undisturbed.
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus Declining
Nisqually NWR · South Puget Sound · June
Tucked among the elderberry, where the ripening fruit will soon feed the southbound migration.
Photographed from the public trail, undisturbed.
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus Declining
Nisqually NWR · South Puget Sound · Spring and summer
An elderberry in the bill — Swainson’s Thrushes eat insects, berries, and soft fruits
Photographed from the public boardwalk, undisturbed.
Field notes featuring this bird
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13 June 2026
A Thrush That Sings the Day Down
