This is a bird that lives up to its name and hides in the darker parts of the woods, where it spends its day creating flute notes that would make Mozart jealous.
On first seeing this silhouette, a black belt birder probably would ask: “What was the color of this bird’s tail and does it flick that tail a lot?” I would reply: “Rusty/rufous and yes.” The birder would nod her head, smile, and say: “Good Looking Hermit Thrush you got there!”
If only I could distinguish a Hermit Thrush from a Wood Thrush in the two seconds before the bird darts back into the shadows. (Brooklin, Maine)