Varied Thrush Next to Paramount Park Today!

We are excited about a Varied Thrush sighting today in our yard next to Paramount Park.
Hopefully he will return so I can get a better photo. But got this sillouette. Just a few moments before it was in better light, but missed it. But was able to ID it for sure.

Varied Thrush in Birch Tree
photo credit-Janet Way

Cornell Lab of Ornithology has extensive information on all the birds of North America
And good photos.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Varied_Thrush/id

photo credit-Cornell Lab
Ixoreus naevius 

A large, robin-like thrush of the Pacific Northwest, the Varied Thrush is a characteristic bird of the mature, dark coniferous forests. Wandering individuals turn up regularly far from home, wintering around feeders in the midwestern states.

Cool Facts

• Males, but only rarely females, defend and maintain small feeding territories around bird feeders. They are aggressive and dominate many other feeder bird species.
• To defend a territory a male may first give a Tail-Up display where the bird faces away from the intruder and holds its tail up to show off the gray-and-white patterned undertail coverts. If the intruder keeps coming the male may turn around and give the Head-Forward display with the wings fanned to show off the orange wing stripe and the tail cocked up over the head showing the white corners.
• Data from Project FeederWatch show that populations go up and down every other year. Gohere for a discussion.

• Habitat

  
  Forest
  • Breeds in wet coniferous or mixed forests. Prefers mature forests with a closed canopy, but found in second growth forests.
  • Winters in forests, parks, and gardens.
  • Food
  
  Insects

  Arthropods, fruit, acorns.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Behavior

  
  Ground Forager

  Feeds primarily on ground for litter-dwelling arthropods; grabs litter in bill, hops back, tosses litter aside, then examines cleared area.