Georgia · Summer breeder

Wood Thrushs in Georgia

When wood thrushes are present in Georgia, when they nest, which native Georgia plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 7a–9a yard.

Thrushes (Turdidae)Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina

Status in Georgia: Summer breeder
Nesting window: April–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 7a–9a

When to expect wood thrushes in Georgia

Wood Thrushs are summer residents in Georgia, arriving shortly before nesting begins in April and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on beetles, ants and caterpillars.

Humid subtropical, with cooler mountains in the north and a warm coastal plain in the south.

Nesting in Georgia

Across Georgia, wood thrushes typically nest from April–July. Nest site: mud-lined cup in understory saplings. Females lay 3–4 eggs, incubate for 11–14 days, and young leave the nest after 12–15 days.

Hot, humid summers; bluebirds can raise three broods but boxes in full sun overheat.

Wood Thrushs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, american beautyberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Georgia plants that attract wood thrushes

Of the regional native plants we track for Georgia, these 8 provide food or cover wood thrushes use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

High-fat fall fruit critical before migration and winter.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Winter berry-cones and dense roosting cover.

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana · Shrub

Fall fruit.

Coral honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens · Vine

Nectar through spring and summer.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Supports hundreds of caterpillar species used to feed nestlings.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Feeding wood thrushes through the Georgia year

Needs shady, moist woodland with leaf litter; declining by more than half since 1966.

Best foods: .
In Georgia's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for wood thrushes · Best feeder for wood thrushes

Frequently asked

Are wood thrushes in Georgia year-round?

No. Wood Thrushs are summer breeders in Georgia and leave for the winter.

When do wood thrushes nest in Georgia?

Nesting in Georgia typically runs April–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–4 eggs, incubated for 11–14 days.

What native plants attract wood thrushes in Georgia?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, American beautyberry, Coral honeysuckle, Serviceberry, White oak, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac are native plants in Georgia that provide food or cover for wood thrushes.

Other backyard birds in Georgia

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.