Unusual Bird (lxoreus naevius) on Lake Iliamna

Observation: We have never seen this type of bird before here.

Consult: This is an adult male varied (lxoreus naevius) thrush. I see them at Campbell Airstrip. Lovely song and lovely birds!

*Resource:

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Varied Thrush, "Catch a glimpse of this shy bird and you’ll see a handsome thrush with a slaty gray back and breast band set against burnt-orange breast and belly. Common in the Cascades, Northern Rockies, and Pacific Coast, Varied Thrushes forage for insects in summer and switch to berries and seeds in winter." It appears that Lake Iliamna is on (or perhaps just beyond) the western tip of the varied thrush range.