Northern Waterthrush
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 Northern Waterthrush by LA Fuertes
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| Seiurus noveboracensis (Gmelin, 1789) |
The Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) is one of the larger New World warblers. It breeds in the northern part of North America in Canada, and in the northern United States, (in areas including Alaska). This bird is migratory, wintering in Central America, the West Indies, and Florida; also Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe; also other South American countries.
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[edit] Description
The Northern Waterthrush is a large new world warbler with a length of 12-14 cm (5-6 in), wingspan of 21-24 cm (8-9 in) and and average weight between 13-25 g (0.46-0.88 oz)[2] On the head, the crown in brown with a white supercilium. The bill is pointed and brown. The throat is lightly streaked brown to black with heavier streaking continuing onto breast and flanks. The back is evenly brown. Sexes are morphologically similar. Young birds have buff, rather than white underparts.
The only species which, among bird watchers, causes confusion with the Northern Waterthrush, is the closely-related Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla), which has buff flanks, a buff undertail, and bright pink legs. The Louisiana Waterthrush also tends to have a white throat which displays less streaks than would be found on the throat.
Both waterthrush species walk rather than hop, and seem to teeter, since they bob their rear ends as they move along.
[edit] Behavior
[edit] Reproduction
The breeding habitat of the Northern Waterthrush is wet woodlands near water. It nests in a stump or among tree roots, laying three to six eggs, which are cream- or buff-colored, with brown and gray spots. These eggs are laid in a cup nest constructed of leaves, bark strips, and rootlets.
[edit] Diet
The Northern Waterthrush is a terrestrial feeder, eating insects, mollusks, and crustaceans found amongst leaf litter.
[edit] Vocalization
Its song is a loud swee swee chit chit weedleoo, and its call is a hard chink.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ BirdLife International (2004). Seiurus noveboracensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- ^ Eaton, S. W. (1995). Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis), The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
[edit] References
- Cassidy, James (ed.) Book of North American Birds. Reader's Digest: 1990. ISBN 0-89577-351-1.
- Curson, Quinn and Beadle, New World Warblers ISBN 0-7136-3932-6
- Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
[edit] External links
- USGS
- Picture of Northern Waterthrush in hand
- Northern waterthrush ecology
- Northern Waterthrush videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Northern Waterthrush photo gallery; VIREO Photo-High Res--(Close-up)
