Oklahoma · Summer breeder

Wood Thrushs in Oklahoma

When wood thrushes are present in Oklahoma, when they nest, which native Oklahoma plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6a–8a yard.

Thrushes (Turdidae)Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina

Status in Oklahoma: Summer breeder
Nesting window: May–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6a–8a

When to expect wood thrushes in Oklahoma

Wood Thrushs are summer residents in Oklahoma, 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 in the forested east, semi-arid in the western plains and Panhandle.

Nesting in Oklahoma

Across Oklahoma, 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.

Hot summers with strong winds; water is especially valuable in the west.

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 Oklahoma plants that attract wood thrushes

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

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.

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.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Feeding wood thrushes through the Oklahoma year

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

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

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

When do wood thrushes nest in Oklahoma?

Nesting in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry are native plants in Oklahoma that provide food or cover for wood thrushes.

Other backyard birds in Oklahoma

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 Baltimore Oriole 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 American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Bushtit Juniper Titmouse Black-crested Titmouse Black-chinned Hummingbird Lesser Goldfinch Spotted Towhee Canyon Towhee Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe Ladder-backed Woodpecker Curve-billed Thrasher Bewick's Wren White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Bullock's Oriole 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.