Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) [XC700535]
by Andy Martin from West Turkey Creek, Chiricahua Mtns, Cochise County, Arizona, United States (song)
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) [XC380209]
by Jeff Dyck from New York (near Ticonderoga), Essex County, New York, United States (song)
Subspecies
Formerly placed in Hylocichla, along with Veery (Catharus fuscescens), Grey-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus), Bicknell's Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) and Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus). Subspecies form three groups, differing in size and plumage coloration: Pacific coast western group (nominate, nanus and slevini) typically small, brown above, with grey-washed flanks; interior mountain western group (sequoiensis, polionotus and auduboni) typically large, greyish and paler above, with more extensive and contrasting spotting below; and eastern group (faxoni and crymophilus) typically mid-sized, dull brown above, flanks washed tawny-buff. Up to 13 subspecies have been described, but geographical variation to some extent clinal; euborius is regarded as synonymous with nominate, jewetti and oromelus with slevini, munroi with auduboni, and osgoodi, verecundus and vaccinius with nanus.
The following 9 subspecies are recognised:
guttatus (Pallas, 1811) - Southern Alaska and western Canada. Non-breeding western USA and northern and central Mexico.
nanus (Audubon, 1839) - South-eastern Alaska and western Canada. Non-breeding western USA, north-western Mexico (Baja California).
slevini (Grinnell, 1901) - Western coast of USA. Non-breeding north-western Mexico.
sequoiensis (Belding, 1889) - Mountains of south-western USA, also north-western and northern Mexico in northern Baja California (Sierra San Pedro Martir) and Chihuahua. Non-breeding south-central USA and northern Mexico.
auduboni (Baird, SF, 1864) - Rocky Mts of west-central Canada and north-western USA. Non-breeding west-central USA and Mexico south to Guatemala.
polionotus (Grinnell, 1918) - Rocky Mts of north-central USA. Non-breeding western Mexico.
faxoni (Bangs & Penard, TE, 1921) - East-central and eastern Canada and eastern USA. Non-breeding south-eastern USA and north-eastern and east-central Mexico.
crymophilus (Burleigh & Peters, JL, 1948) - Newfoundland and adjacent areas. Non-breeding south-eastern and south-central USA.
vaccinius (Cumming, 1933) - Vancouver I. Winters to coastal central California.
BirdLife International Species Factsheet