Wood Thrushs in Louisiana
When wood thrushes are present in Louisiana, when they nest, which native Louisiana plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 8a–10a yard.
- Status in Louisiana
- Summer breeder
- Nesting window
- April–July
- Broods
- 1–2 per season
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 8a–10a
When to expect wood thrushes in Louisiana
Wood Thrushs are summer residents in Louisiana, 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 coastal marsh, bottomland hardwood forest and piney uplands in the north.
Nesting in Louisiana
Across Louisiana, 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.
Very hot, humid summers and hurricane season June–November.
- Wood Thrushs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as flowering dogwood, eastern red cedar, serviceberry for nest sites.
- Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.
Native Louisiana plants that attract wood thrushes
Of the regional native plants we track for Louisiana, these 8 provide food or cover wood thrushes use:
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.
Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Feeding wood thrushes through the Louisiana year
Needs shady, moist woodland with leaf litter; declining by more than half since 1966.
- Best foods: .
- In Louisiana'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 Louisiana year-round?
No. Wood Thrushs are summer breeders in Louisiana and leave for the winter.
When do wood thrushes nest in Louisiana?
Nesting in Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry are native plants in Louisiana that provide food or cover for wood thrushes.
Wood Thrushs in other regions
Other backyard birds in Louisiana
Sources
- Wood Thrush — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wood Thrush life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Wood Thrush — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Louisiana
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
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.