Hermit Thrush
Hermit Thrush has surged: up 223% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Hermit Thrush
The Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) is a North American member of the Thrushes (Turdidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 6–11 in long (15–28 cm) — a medium songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 1,215 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 32 states, most concentrated in the Atlantic Northern Forest.
- Family
- Turdidae · Forest birds
Notable Hermit Thrush Trends
Hermit Thrush has surged in surveyed states: up 223% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
Hermit Thrush Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Hermit Thrush is projected to rise about 45% by 2029 — from 1.8 in 2024 to a central estimate of 2.6 (95% range 1.8–3.4). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±60.5%, with 0% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 3.3 |
| 2026 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 3.3 |
| 2027 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 3.3 |
| 2028 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 3.3 |
| 2029 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 3.4 |
Where the Hermit Thrush Is Detected
BBS routes recording Hermit Thrush, sized by most recent count.
Hermit Thrush Population Trend by State
| Alaska | +155% | 1972 | 107 |
| Arizona | +448% | 1970 | 23 |
| California | +11% | 1970 | 116 |
| Colorado | +277% | 1970 | 81 |
| Connecticut | -39% | 1969 | 17 |
| Idaho | +47% | 1971 | 38 |
| Maine | -25% | 1968 | 78 |
| Maryland | +878% | 1977 | 9 |
| Massachusetts | +33% | 1968 | 30 |
| Michigan | +72% | 1968 | 68 |
| Minnesota | +63% | 1969 | 41 |
| Montana | +804% | 1973 | 38 |
| Nevada | -80% | 1999 | 6 |
| New Hampshire | +72% | 1968 | 26 |
| New Jersey | -33% | 1980 | 4 |
| New Mexico | +771% | 1971 | 22 |
| New York | +49% | 1968 | 101 |
| North Carolina | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
| Ohio | -23% | 1994 | 5 |
| Oregon | -26% | 1970 | 83 |
| Pennsylvania | +170% | 1968 | 81 |
| Rhode Island | +0% | 1973 | 5 |
| South Dakota | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Tennessee | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Utah | +29% | 1970 | 43 |
| Vermont | -7% | 1968 | 26 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Washington | +122% | 1970 | 51 |
| West Virginia | 20× | 1979 | 20 |
| Wisconsin | +105% | 1968 | 49 |
| Wyoming | +704% | 1976 | 35 |
Hermit Thrush Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 2 | -57% | 1985 | 12 |
| BCR 4 | +72% | 1976 | 59 |
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | +192% | 1970 | 121 |
| Great Basin | -11% | 1970 | 84 |
| Northern Rockies | +238% | 1970 | 125 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +56% | 1968 | 124 |
| Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain | +2% | 1968 | 51 |
| Atlantic Northern Forest | +29% | 1968 | 156 |
| Sierra Nevada | -50% | 1972 | 36 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +300% | 1970 | 141 |
| Prairie Hardwood Transition | +274% | 1968 | 30 |
| Appalachian Mountains | +264% | 1968 | 150 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | -19% | 1968 | 53 |
| Coastal California | +156% | 1973 | 28 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +50% | 1970 | 23 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -57% | 1978 | 5 |
Hermit Thrush Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 223% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.