Swainson's Thrush, Catharus ustulatus
 Nesting
habitats used by the Swainson's Thrush
The Swainson's Thrush generally nests in
willows or other riparian habitats.
Migration of the Swainson's Thrush
The Swainson's Thrush is a nocturnal migrant.
At night this bird migrates up from Mexico and Central America in
the summer. They just come to visit us in the summer.
Range of the Swainson's Thrush
The Swainson's Thrush is a summer visitor
along the coast of California.
 Habitat/plant
communities used by the Swainson's Thrush
The Swainson's Thrush uses dense brushy areas
along the coast of California. In the inland valleys it frequents
oak woodlands as well as riparian pant communities.
Riparian
Central
oak woodland
Northern
Oak woodland
Southern
oak Woodland
Sagebrush
scrub
Northern
coastal scrub
Coastal
sage scrub
Chaparral
Niche filled by the Swainson's Thrush
The Swainson's Thrush utilizes the organism
rich leaf litter. This leaf litter is filled with all kinds of
organisms that break down plant material. This includes spiders,
worms, fungi, insects and many other creatures.
 Diet
of the Swainson's Thrush
The Swainson's Thrush forages in the leaf
litter for insects and spiders. They also glean them from shrubs.
So make sure you have lots of mulch in your garden. It also helps
retain moisture, and nutrients for your plants.
How to attract the Swainson's Thrush to your
garden
They Swainson's Thrush enjoys Toyon berries as
well as the cover it provides. Toyon is a large evergreen shrub
with clusters of red berries. The Swainson's Thrush likes large
and small shrubs for nesting and foraging as well as leaf litter
for foraging. So don't rake up your leaf litter. It is a treasure
trove of nutrition and organic matter.
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