New York · Summer breeder

Wood Thrushs in New York

When wood thrushes are present in New York, when they nest, which native New York plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–7b yard.

Thrushes (Turdidae)Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina

Status in New York: Summer breeder
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–7b

When to expect wood thrushes in New York

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

Humid continental, from cold Adirondack highlands to the maritime-moderated coast of Long Island.

Nesting in New York

Across New York, wood thrushes typically nest from May–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.

Warm summers with a shorter nesting season upstate than downstate.

Wood Thrushs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as winterberry, arrowwood viburnum, eastern white pine for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native New York plants that attract wood thrushes

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

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Winter fruit.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and insect cover.

Eastern white pine

Pinus strobus · Tree

Seeds and year-round shelter.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

Feeding wood thrushes through the New York year

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

Best foods: .
In New York'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 New York year-round?

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

When do wood thrushes nest in New York?

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

What native plants attract wood thrushes in New York?

Winterberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Eastern white pine, Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac are native plants in New York that provide food or cover for wood thrushes.

Other backyard birds in New York

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped 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 Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo 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 American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Fox Sparrow

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.