Orange in Winter
Hike the Oaks-to-Wetlands trail at Ridgefield’s Carty Unit at any time of the year and you’re likely to see two kinds of orange-feathered birds: American robins and spotted towhees. During the winter, however, we’re blessed with another: the varied thrush.
While towhees are often seen on the ground feeding or in the brush, varied thrushes are usually in the trees like their more famous thrush cousin, the robin. There’s no confusing the two, though, even with a cursory glance. The varied thrush has a dark line running across its face and through its eye. Even young birds (such as the one shown here) have the distinctive eyeline, though it is much more faded in the youngsters.