THRUSHES, BLUEBIRDS 



Sierra hermit thrush, Ilylocichla gut- 

 tata scquoiensis. 7.00 



Distribution: Breeding in the Sierra 

 Nevada and Cascade ranges from southern 

 CaHfornia north to Alaska; during migrations 

 southward to Mexico and Lower CaHfornia, 

 and eastward to western Texas and AVyoming. 

 Three closely allied species are the Audubon 

 hermit thrush of the Rocky Mountain region 

 of the United States (west occasionally to the 

 Cascade Mountains) : the Alaska hermit 

 thrush of Alaska, south along the coast in 

 winter to Lower California, and east to 

 western Texas; and dwarf hermit thrush of 

 the coast district of Alaska and British 

 Columbia (and probably also in the western 

 parts of Washington and Oregon), win- 

 tering southward through California and 

 Mexico. 



The Sierra hermit thrush is a bird of the 

 mountains, usually above five thousand feet, 

 and is found in the valleys only during the 

 migrations in the fall, when on its annual 

 journey to its winter home in the tropics. 

 It lives in damp, densely wooded localities 

 where it builds its nest in some low bush, 

 typical of the thrush family. 



The Sierra hermit thrush is considered the 

 finest song bird of the Pacific Coast but only 

 11 



