348 
Field Marks. A Thrush with tail same colour as back, breast heavily spotted and 
cheeks greyish. 
Nesting. In low bushes or on the ground; nest bulky, compact, composed largely 
of mosses. 
Distribution. Northern North America. In Canada, west to the mountains, north 
throughout the spruce forest; rare on the prairies. 
SUBSPECIES. The subspecies for all Canada except the eastern coast is the Grey- 
cheeked Thrush Hylocichla aliciae aliciae. 
This Thrush, though so like the Olive-backed, is likely to be confused 
commonly in Manitoba and occasionally in the other Prairie Provinces. 
758. Olive- backed Thrush (Including Russet-backed Thrush), swainson’s 
thrush. Hylocichla ustulata. L, 7*17. Plate LXXXI A. Even tawny-olive over all 
back; below, white, with breast heavily spotted with brown. 
Distinctions. Separated from Wilson’s Thrush by the heavy, instead of very light, 
breast spotting, and more olive cast to back; from the Hermit Thrush, by the tail being 
evenly coloured like the back instead of distinctly redder. Most like the Grey-cheeked 
Thrush, from which it is best separated by the distinctly tawny or ochraceous cast to the 
cheeks, even to showing a distinct eye-ring, and the similar tone to the breast-spotting and 
flanks. 
Field Marks. A Thrush with tail same colour as the back, breast heavily spotted, and 
cheeks tawny or ochraceous instead of greyish. 
Nesting. In bushes or small trees, in nest of mosses, coarse grasses, leaves, and bark, 
lined with rootlets and grass. 
Distribution. North and South America. In Canada, across the Dominion, north 
to the tree limit. 
SUBSPECIES. Unusually enough this species was first described from the 
west coast, and the type race is the Russet-backed Thrush Hylocichla ustulata, ustulata, 
of the region west of the Cascades and the Coast range. As its name implies, it is ruddier; 
less olive, the throat is more strongly suffused with ochre, and the spotting is not so strong 
as in Swainson’s Thrush Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni that occupies the range eastward. 
The next most common Thrush to Wilson’s; on the coast the prevailing 
one at low altitudes, but elsewhere summering more northerly or at higher 
altitudes. It has a rich, full song only slightly inferior to that of the Hermit 
Thrush. 
759. Hermit Thrush (Including Sierra, Dwarf, and Alaska Hermit Thrushes). 
Hylocichla guttata. L, 7 • 17. Plate LXXXI B. Even, tawny brown all above, except 
tail that is distinctly dull red or rusty; below, white, breast heavily spotted with brown. 
Distinctions and Field Marks. Has the heavily spotted breast of the Grey^cheeked and 
Olive-backed, and may easily be told from any other Thrush by its tail being decidedly 
redder than the back. 
Field Marks. A Thrush with heavily spotted breast and its tail redder than the 
back. 
Nesting. On the ground in nest of moss, coarse grass, and leaves, lined with rootlets and 
pine-needles. 
Distribution. Northern North America and mountains of western United States. 
In Canada, across the Dominion, north to tree limits. 
SUBSPECIES. A number of subspecies of Hermit Thrushes are recognized, three 
of these occurring regularly in Canada. The Eastern Hermit Thrush Hylocichla guttata 
paUasi occurs west to the mountains, crossing them in the north into northern British Colum- 
bia and the Yukon. The Sierra Hermit Thrush Hylocichla guttata seqvoiensis is the bird 
of southern interior British Columbia. It is as large as the eastern bird, but slightly more 
olive above and greyer below with less ochraceous suggestion on flanks. West of the 
Coast range occurs the Dwarf Hermit Thrush Hylocichla guttata nanus, which is decidedly 
smaller and redder. The Alaska Hermit Thrush Hylocichla guttata guttata, the type form, for 
this is one of the few species known first to science from the west — is asubspecies of the Alaskan 
coast occurring in western British Columbia on migration. It is slightly more olivaceous 
than the Sierra Thrush and as small as the Dwarf. Audubon’s Hermit Thrush has 
