beauty of the Wood Thrush's song

Celebrated by poets and renowned as one of nature's greatest singers, the Wood Thrush (and its brethren, including the Swainson's Thrush) occupies a class of its own. This tireless singer is one of the first birds to be heard in the morning and one of the last to quit in the evening. But familiarity hardly dispels the beauty of the Wood Thrush's song. In fact, multiple listens inspire greater appreciation. The reason why may lie in the fact that males sometimes sing — and harmonize —by employing pairs of notes simultaneously from both sides of their y-shaped voice boxes.

Despite the Wood Thrush's large range in the eastern United States, its song is fading. In just the last 50 years, the Wood Thrush population has been reduced by half, due in part to widespread habitat loss. ABC's Migratory Birds and International programs are working with partners throughout Central and South America to improve land management and create protected bird reserves that support wintering Wood Thrushes, as well as other declining species such as the Golden-winged Warbler.