Veery

, Canada , Lenox, MA This species measures in length. Its mass is , exceptionally up to . The wingspan averages . Each wing measures , the bill measures and the tarsus is . The veery shows the characteristic under-wing stripe of Catharus thrushes. Adults are mainly light brown on the upperparts. The underparts are white; the breast is light tawny with faint brownish spots. Veeries have pink legs and a poorly defined eye ring. Birds in the eastern portions of the species' breeding range are more cinnamon on the upper parts; western birds are more olive-brown. In the east, the veery is distinguished easily by its coloration; distinguishing western veeries from other Catharus thrushes is more difficult. This bird has a breezy, downward-spiraling, flute-like song, often given from a low and concealed perch. The most common call is a harsh, descending vee-er, which gave the bird its name. Other calls include a chuckle, a sharp and low "wuck", and a slow wee-u. Veeries have been shown to decrease the rate and duration of singing when exposed to barred owl playback, possibly to decrease the chance of predation. ==Ecology and behavior==

Breeding and wintering habitat The breeding habitat is humid deciduous forest across southern Canada and the northern United States. Breeding habitat includes dense growth and dense understory close to a water source, such as a stream. These birds migrate to eastern South America. It has been found that winter range may include the entire Amazon basin, Mérida state in Venezuela, the headwaters of the Orinoco River, and São Paulo state, Brazil. Stopover regions during migration of several veeries from Delaware include the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the coasts of the Carolinas, Cuba, Jamaica, Colombia, and Venezuela. The outer layer consists of leaves and supporting branches, while the inner layer consists of material woven together. Nests contain three to five greenish-blue eggs that may or may not have brown spots. Veeries are occasional hosts for the eggs of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Veery males have been found to engage in behaviors similar to the polygynandrous Bicknell's thrush in that males may feed nestlings at more than one nest and there may be multiple male feeders at nests. == Threats ==

Threats to the veery include nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds, climate change, and alteration of Amazonian lowland forests. There have been concerns that the use of invasive/alien plant parts may decrease nesting success, but negative impacts have not been documented. ==Footnotes==