A secretive eastern thicket bird that forages in leaf litter and sings from dense shrub cover.
By Birdly Yard Editorial TeamReviewed Updated
Local season
Months with a state-level historical signal for this species.
They eat mainly insects and other small animals, plus fruit, seeds and nuts. Look for a bird sweeping its bill sideways through fallen leaves. Keep an undisturbed patch of leaf litter beside native shrubs to protect natural foraging opportunities.
They usually build a cup nest low in a tree or dense, often thorny shrub; some nests are on the ground. Thickets and woodland edges provide useful cover. Keep people and pets away from an occupied site and postpone nearby trimming.
Status
Backyard reports
Look for it
Look along hedgerows, tangled native shrubs, berry thickets, woodland edges, and the ground beneath dense cover.
Food
Insects, spiders, snails, fruit, berries, seeds, and nuts gathered mostly on or near the ground.
Nesting
Natural nesting guidance
One useful next step
Dense native shrubs, leaf litter, fruiting thickets, low branches, and a quiet woodland edge provide the cover it needs.
See the yard actionsA good yard is layered
Food helps, but cover, clean water, native plants, and a safe distance from hazards make a more dependable place for birds.
Dense native shrubs, leaf litter, fruiting thickets, low branches, and a quiet woodland edge provide the cover it needs.
Insects, spiders, snails, fruit, berries, seeds, and nuts gathered mostly on or near the ground.
Keep a small, clean ground area beneath shrubs for naturally fallen seed rather than creating a broad seed pile; berry plants matter more.
Food & feeder
Insects, spiders, snails, fruit, berries, seeds, and nuts gathered mostly on or near the ground.
Cover & plants
Dense native shrubs, leaf litter, fruiting thickets, low branches, and a quiet woodland edge provide the cover it needs.
Places a cup nest low in a shrub or small tree, sometimes close to the ground; give dense nesting cover a wide berth.
Sweeps leaf litter aside with its bill while searching for food, then slips back into cover when disturbed.
Wait outside the edge of a thicket with a long lens and allow the bird to emerge on its own.
Avoid pruning dense shrubs in nesting season and keep cats and dogs away from low cover.
Continue exploring
Compare food, habitat and nesting. Local seasonal records vary by species.
