Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis)

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A Field Guide to Warblers of North America (The Peterson Field Guide Series). by Kimball L. Garrett, Jon L. Dunn, Cindy House (Illustrator)

Warblers of Eastern North America

Northern Waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis)

Identification: 5 inches from tip of bill to tip of tail.

Breeding Male: The Northern Waterthrush is commonly found near water, hence its name. The back and crown on the head are brown and there is a yellowish band (supercilium) above the eye edged with dark brown through the eye. The throat, breast, and belly are white tinged with yellow to a variable degree. The underside is strongly marked with black streaks and the throat has fine, black speckles.

Female: Similar to the male.

Fall Male and Female: Similar to the breeding male.

Immature: Similar to the breeding male.

Similar Species: The Northern Waterthrush can be confused with two other species of the genus Seiurus; the Ovenbird and the Louisiana Waterthrush. The Ovenbird has a rusty-orange cap on the head and the upper side of the body is olive-brown, not brown. The Louisiana Waterthrush is very similar to the Northern Waterthrush. During the breeding season, the distributions of the two species do not overlap except in New England. The light band over the eye (supercilium) is narrower in the Northern Waterthrush and usually tinged with yellow. The supercilium of the Louisiana Waterthrush is larger and always white. The throat of the Northern Waterthrush is streaked with small, dark brown spots, but these small, dark brown streaks are absent from the throat of the Louisiana Waterthrush. The songs of the two species are very distinctive. The white band over the eye and their smaller size will distinguish the Louisiana Waterthrush from the thrushes.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Northern Waterthrush has a wide distribution through the Northern Boreal Forest. In the east the Northern Waterthrush occupies New England as far south as Pennsylvania and the higher reaches of the Appalachian Mountains. The species enters the United States in Washington, Idaho, and Montana in the west, and Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan further east.

Overwintering Range: American tropics.

Habitat: During the breeding season the Northern Waterthrush is found in bogs, wooded swamps, and along lakeshores. The species can be found in just about any wooded habitat during migration.

Food: Aquatic insects and other invertebrates.

Behavior: The Northern Waterthrush is almost always found on the ground and walks with a bobbing motion like a sandpiper. The song is a loud a ringing che-chee-chee, chip-chip-chip, chew-chew-chew.

Reproduction: The nest is constructed of moss set along a stream bank, at the base of a tree trunk or among the roots of an uprooted tree. The clutch consists of 4-5 cream colored eggs with brown spots.