December 5, 2015 – Veery (Catharus fuscescens)

These small thrushes breed in forests of the northern United States and southern Canada, migrating through much of the eastern United States and the Caribbean to winter in South America. They eat mostly invertebrates in the breeding season, along with some small amphibians. In the late summer and fall they also eat berries and other fruits. During migration they can cover a distance of 160 miles (285 kilometers) in a night, reaching an altitude of 1.2 miles (2 kilometers). Their name is a reference to their call, made up of multiple “veer” notes.

Their song is hard to describe and pretty strange sounding to me, almost electronic. I definitely recommend listening for yourself if you haven’t heard it before: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/veery/sounds