Townsend's Solitaire - Myadestes townsendi

Townsend's Solitaire -- South Dakota Birds

Length: 9 inches	Wingspan: 14 inches	Seasonality: Winter/All Seasons
ID Keys: White eye-ring, gray body and head, black tail with white edging visible in flight

Townsend's Solitaire

Myadestes townsendi

Usually seen alone (as the name implies), Townsend's Solitaires are best known as winter visitors throughout most of the state. Individual birds will aggressively defend a patch of junipers or other sources of berries, with occasionally violent fights breaking out between two birds.

Habitat: Breeds in open conifer forest, requiring exposed rocky or dirt areas for nesting on the ground. In the winter, found in woodlands and shelterbelts, especially around junipers.

Diet: Primarily feeds on insects in the summer. Primarily feeds on fruits and berries in the winter, especially juniper berries.

Nesting: May through July

Breeding Map: Breeding Bird Survey map

Song: Townsend's Solitaire song, also Townsend's Solitaire call note.

Migrations: Lives in all seasons through most of the higher elevation Western U.S. Extends its range in summer through the Canadian Rockies up into Alaska. Extends its range in winter by moving to lower elevations in the West, and moving eastward.

Similar Species: Northern Mockingbird

Status: Generally stable throughout its range.

Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Townsend's Solitaire

Townsend's Solitaire - South Dakota Range Map 2) Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Townsend's Solitaire