Best distinguished from very similar Louisiana Waterthrush by thinner, more yellowish supercilium and typically spotted throat, drabber leg color. To determine which waterthrush you may be watching, examine the head. Its song is also one of the main ways to tell the northern waterthrush apart from the Louisiana waterthrush. This bird’s song is very loud and ringing to announce its territory to other birds. The Louisiana waterthrush begins with a few down-turned notes while the northern waterthrush will be steady and straight like the ground it prefers to nest on. It is 6 inches long. It flies swiftly in a direct line for short distances. The Northern Waterthrush is often an unseen singer whose rich, sweet whistles lure listeners into its attractive habitats, the wooded swamps and bogs of northern North America. Basic Description. This bird is territorial and will use its metallic chink call to ward away predators. The nest will be constructed from moss and leaves in an open cup, sometimes with a leaf cover making a kind of entranceway. Habitat should be considered when identifying waterthrushes. The throat is lightl… The call is a sharp chink! The nest placement of the northern waterthrush will be on the ground. The Northern Waterthrush is a large warbler with a long, heavy bill and a flattish head. The northern waterthrush is a large New World warbler (and not a thrush, despite the name). The Louisiana has a bold white eye-line and plain unstreaked throat. The one area where you can be confident in telling apart the Louisiana waterthrush with the northern waterthrush is their song. It will find cover within the roots of a tree or in a hole in a fallen log. The bill is pointed and dark. Description: Dark brown above, whitish to pale yellowish below and supercilium. They have distinctive dark eye-lines with a white line above that, and dark caps. When migrating, it will choose more wooded areas. Home » Learn » Bird Identification Guide » Warblers » Northern Waterthrush. It starts on one higher pitch and then accelerates to shorter, more jumbled noises. The northern has a finely streaked throat and narrow, often buffy (not white) eye-line. It eats a variety of prey including caterpillars, spiders, and beetles. Eyebrows are thick and vary from pale yellow to white. Their … On the head, the crown is brown with a white supercilium. These streaky brown songbirds lack the bold colors of many other warblers and don’t forage in forest canopies. The northern waterthrush has a forest habitat and likes to breed and nest near slow-moving bodies of water such as streams, bogs, and swamps. North Shore Birding FestivalOccurs early December in Maitland, Florida », YUMA BIRD, NATURE & HISTORY FESTIVALOccurs early January in YUMA, Arizona », Bald Eagle DaysOccurs early January in Rock Island, Illinois », White Pelican CelebrationOccurs early January in Chokoloskee, Florida », Wings Over WillcoxOccurs mid-January in Willcox, Arizona », Northern waterthrush, photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren courtesy of Wiki Commons, Get professional advice from the editors of. They are dark brown above and buff-white with dark streaks below. The northern waterthrush will glean bugs from off the ground. When migrating, it will choose more wooded areas. It has a length of 12–15 cm (4.7–5.9 in), wingspan of 21–24 cm (8.3–9.4 in) and weighs between 13 and 25 g (0.46 and 0.88 oz) Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 6.8 to 8.2 cm (2.7 to 3.2 in), the tail is 4.5 to 5.7 cm (1.8 to 2.2 in), the bill is 1.1 to 1.2 cm (0.43 to 0.47 in) and the tarsus is 1.9 to 2.3 cm (0.75 to 0.91 in). Territorial in both its winter and summer ranges. Northern Waterthrush: Large, ground-walking warbler with dark brown upperparts and white to pale yellow underparts with dark, heavy streaks. Males and females look alike. The northern waterthrush has a forest habitat and likes to breed and nest near slow-moving bodies of water such as streams, bogs, and swamps. Use BWD's Birding and Nature Festival Finder to help you select from events all over the USA and beyond. Dark streaking on breast. The Northern Waterthrush is often an unseen singer whose rich, sweet whistles lure listeners into its attractive habitats, the wooded swamps and bogs of northern North America. The northern waterthrush is very often confused with the Louisiana waterthrush because of how confusingly similar they look. These streaky brown songbirds lack the bold colors of many other warblers and don’t forage in forest canopies. It will also wade into shallow water to eat arthropods and even small fish.