Ohio · Summer breeder

Wood Thrushs in Ohio

When wood thrushes are present in Ohio, when they nest, which native Ohio plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 5b–7a yard.

Thrushes (Turdidae)Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina

Status in Ohio: Summer breeder
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 5b–7a

When to expect wood thrushes in Ohio

Wood Thrushs are summer residents in Ohio, 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; cold winters and warm summers, with Lake Erie moderating the north coast.

Nesting in Ohio

Across Ohio, 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, humid summers; western Lake Erie marshes are a major migration stopover.

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

Native Ohio plants that attract wood thrushes

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

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early fruit.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

High-fat fall berries.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Winter cover and fruit.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

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

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.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Feeding wood thrushes through the Ohio year

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

Best foods: .
In Ohio'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 Ohio year-round?

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

When do wood thrushes nest in Ohio?

Nesting in Ohio 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 Ohio?

Serviceberry, Spicebush, Eastern red cedar, Flowering dogwood, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak are native plants in Ohio that provide food or cover for wood thrushes.

Other backyard birds in Ohio

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee 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 Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling 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.