Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
The Hermit Thrush is a winter resident in my north Berkeley, CA neighborhood, preferring to do its breeding further north in Canada and Alaska. There are also Hermit Thrush that winter in Mexico and some of the U.S. southern states, and some of these also fly to Canada for breeding although some portion will breed in our the mountain states. This photograph was taken in Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley, CA on November 1, 2016. They do not always look as rotund as this one, but their tails are usually redder than their brownish backs as can be seen here. It is also one of the first birds that I hear in the winter mornings, calling with a soft single note that is repeated every few seconds. I often see it on the ground foraging for insects.