FAMILY TurdidcB 



of alder and vine maple along streams and 

 for the heavily wooded hills and mountain 

 sides. The delicate browns and grays of their 

 plumage blend perfectly with their chosen 

 haunts. They flit silently from place to place 

 in the semi-darkness of the deep canyons, and 

 when sitting still on some low perch are in- 

 visible against the background of withered 

 leaves. 



The russet-backed thrush is the only mem- 

 ber of the family that is a summer resident 

 in the valleys along the Pacific Coast. It is 

 commonly found in alder bottoms along 

 streams, in the tangle of fallen tree tops and 

 vines in slashings, along the edges of quiet 

 woods roads and tree bordered fields, and 

 comes freely into the outskirts of towns to 

 live and nest in the shrubbery in the door- 

 yards. 



The nest of the russet-backed thrush is 

 made almost entirely of green moss, and is a 

 thick walled structure, lined with fine grass 

 and feathers. It is usually placed in low 

 bushes or ferns. 



The characteristic call note of this thrush 

 is a sharp quit. Its beautiful tremolo song 

 fills the evening woods and is often heard 

 till nine or ten o'clock at night in mid- 

 summer. 



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