The Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina is a 7-inch bird with a rusty crown, nape and upper back . It has a white eye ring and streaked cheeks. The underparts are white with black spots throughout; brown upperparts and pink legs. The sexes are similar. Juvenile has pale spots on upperparts. These birds often forage on the forest floor. Their song is distinctive and beautiful.

The Wood thrush resides in forests in the eastern United States where it is more often heard than seen. It is similar to other thrushes but has larger spots that extend onto the belly and contrast between the rusty head and duller brown back. The Brown Thrasher is similar but its tail is much longer.

These birds are neotropical migrants. They prefer woodland settings where they can breed. The open cup nest is placed in trees from mid-story to the canopy. The clutch is from 3 to 4 eggs. The incubation period is from 13 to 14 days. It takes the chicks 12 days to fledge. There are often two broods per year.

The Wood Thrush feeds on insects and to a lesser extent fruit and worms.

The little plush Wood Thrush stuffed animal with sound shown at right was produced by Wild Republic with help from the National Audubon Society. This style was retired, but may be resurrected in the future. Each bird's lifelike design and detailing is the result of input from Audubon. Additionally the sounds in this toy is an authentic Wood Thrush provided by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Wild Republic's affiliation with these two bird organizations emphasizes its commitment to nature conservation.

Class: Aves | Order: Passeriformes | Family: Muscicapidae | Genus: Hylocichla Baird | Species: Hylocichla mustelina