Photo by James Prudente

Description: A member of the thrush family, the Townsend’s Solitaire is the northernmost of the mountain forest dwelling solitaires; the only one north of Mexico.  Often mistaken for a mockingbird at a distance, it has a short, black bill and poses in an erect stance when at perch.  Both sexes look alike, with marked eye-rings.  They are ash-gray below and darker gray above.  Their tails are edged in white feathers and they have a buffy wing-stripe.

Habitat:  Migration can take them as far north as Alaska to breed, and during this season they thrive on berries and insects.  In Arizona they breed in open, high mountain, conifer forests.  They perch in easy view to sing complex arias declaring territory, but once nesting occurs, they keep a low profile while they have kids to tend.

Nesting:  Often nesting on the ground, they seem to have a preference for a cavity in the side of road cuts and especially love an overhang acting as veranda for their entrance.  A twig platform is built on the ground and a finer woven cup placed on top, with the female the primary contractor.  She then lays 3-6 eggs and incubates for about two weeks, rarely leaving the nest, so her mate feeds her during this time.

Diet:  Their diet includes spiders, worms, but most especially juniper berries.

Range:  Migration can take them as far north as Alaska to breed, and during this season they thrive on berries and insects.  In Arizona they breed in open, high mountain, conifer forests.  They perch in easy view to sing complex arias declaring territory, but once nesting occurs, they keep a low profile while they have kids to tend.

More info:  This bird was named after John Kirk Townsend (1809-1851) an American naturalist and ornithologist.