Northern Waterthrush

The Northern Waterthrush, Parkesia noveboracensis, is a robust New World warbler, not a thrush as its name might suggest. It measures 12–15 cm in length, with a wingspan of 21–24 cm, and weighs between 13 and 25 grams. The species exhibits a brown crown with a contrasting white supercilium, a pointed and dark bill, and a throat adorned with light brown to black streaks that extend onto the breast and flanks. The back is a consistent brown, and both sexes are similar in appearance. Juveniles can be distinguished by their buff underparts rather than white.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Northern Waterthrush, look for the heavily streaked throat and breast, and the white supercilium that contrasts with the brown crown. The species walks rather than hops and has a distinctive rear-end bobbing behavior. It can be confused with the Louisiana Waterthrush, but the Northern Waterthrush has less buff on the flanks and undertail, and its throat is more heavily streaked.

Habitat

The Northern Waterthrush breeds in wet woodlands near water, often choosing to nest in a stump or among tree roots.

Distribution

This migratory bird breeds in the northern regions of North America, including Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States. It winters in Central America, the West Indies, Florida, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador, and is a rare vagrant to other South American countries and western Europe.

Behaviour

The Northern Waterthrush exhibits site fidelity during the non-breeding period and tends to be solitary. Males, being larger, migrate earlier in spring and prefer to winter in white mangrove habitats, while females occupy drier and less food-rich habitats. The species has been observed flying up to 2 km to nighttime roosts from daytime foraging areas.

Song & Calls

The Northern Waterthrush's song is a series of loud, emphatic, clear chirping notes that generally fall in pitch and accelerate. The call is a loud, hard "spwik" with a pronounced K sound, and the flight call is a buzzy, high, slightly rising "zzip."

Breeding

The Northern Waterthrush's breeding habitat is closely associated with wet woodlands near water. It constructs a cup nest out of leaves, bark strips, and rootlets, where it lays three to six cream- or buff-colored eggs with brown and gray spots.

Similar Species

The closely related Louisiana Waterthrush can be differentiated by its buff flanks and undertail, brighter pink legs, and a whiter throat with fewer streaks.

Diet and Feeding

This terrestrial ground feeder consumes insects, spiders, mollusks, worms, crustaceans found in leaf litter, and occasionally minnows by wading through water.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Northern Waterthrush as Least Concern, indicating that it is not currently at significant risk of widespread decline.

Vagrancy

The Northern Waterthrush is a rare vagrant in Europe, with the first recorded sighting in France in 1955 and subsequent sightings in the United Kingdom beginning in 1958. There have been a handful of recorded sightings in the UK up to 2024.