The Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) is about 6.5 inches long, greyish brown with rusty rump and tail. Underparts are white with brown spots. It has a white eye ring.

This little bird forages on the forest floor in dense brush looking for insects. You're more likely to hear it rustling around in the brush than to see it. It has a habit of flicking its tail. It prefer mixed forests and woodlands. It has a clear lilting song.

These birds build their little cup of a nest with grass, mud, roots and moss either on the ground or in a low shrub. There are 3 to 5 blue-green eggs laid. The incubation period is about 12 days and then another 12 days to fledge. Both parents care for the young. There can be two and sometimes three broods per season.

The range includes parts of Alaska, the coniferous forests of Canada, the extreme Northeastern USA and mountainous regions of the western USA. They are short-distance migrants.

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Muscicapidae | Genus: Catharus | Species : Catharus guttatus