 Breeding evidence |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
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Atlas Results
Gray-cheeked Thrush were primarily found in the stunted taiga forests in extreme northern Saskatchewan, with most sightings occurring in the Selwyn Lake Uplands. Two straggler records from the Cold Lake and La Ronge areas, from June and July respectively, are consistent with other extralimital records reported at those latitudes in Alberta and Manitoba. No breeding was confirmed, though agitated adults were observed in four squares.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
In spring the Gray-cheeked Thrush, found among dozens of migrating thrushes hopping through your garden, is headed for far northern Saskatchewan and beyond to near the tree limit. Although the 4 Catharus thrushes in Saskatchewan are almost identical in body size, the Gray-cheek has the longest wings since it has to migrate the greatest distance, from its breeding grounds that span the subarctic forest from eastern Siberia to Newfoundland, to its wintering grounds in northern South America east of the Andes.
In Saskatchewan it breeds in the stunted spruce forest in the extreme north along the border with the Northwest Territories and to a lesser extent in the northern Boreal region. Found primarily in willow-alder thickets, conifer scrub and conifer forest with dense undergrowth (Whitaker et al 2020). During migration may be found in any shrubby, treed area. New Ref
The Gray-cheeked Thrush is an uncommon summer resident of the stunted spruce forests of the subarctic region of Saskatchewan, and a rare and local resident in the northern boreal region. Elsewhere it is a fairly common transient during migration, in mixed flocks with the Swainson's Thrush, which outnumbers it 2 to 1 (Smith 1996).
Original text by Kim Clark. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Gray-cheeked Thrush in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Gray-cheeked Thrush in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=GCTH&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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