Varied Thrush
Varied Thrush Video Clips
Varied Thrushes spend the winter in our area. They enjoy sunflower chips and are extremely fond of rolled oats. In the Habitat section, you can see a picture of a Varied Thrush holding a rolled oat in its beak.
Female Varied Thrushes are pale in comparison to the males. These thrushes nest in old-growth forests and are on the decline due to habitat loss.
Varied Thrush with Beak Deformity
In May of 2006, we photographed this Varied Thrush with a beak deformity. The thrush stayed around our property for a little over a week before he finally disappeared.
Researchers have documented 1,500 Black-capped Chickadees with bill deformities in south-central Alaska along with 19 other species of bill deformities. Although environmental contaminants are on the list of possibilities, they have not yet established any causal links. For more information and what you can do to help, read their article on Beak Deformities.