Veery

Distribution and Abundance

• BBS Map
• Breeding range across southern Canada, portions of western United States, the Great Lakes area, New England area, and the Appalachian Mountains.
• Winters in tropical northern South America.

Habitat

• Generally inhabits damp, deciduous forests (Kendeigh 1948, Morse 1971). Strong preference for riparian habitats in several regions, including Great Plains (Tubbs 1980). Prefers disturbed forest, probably due to denser understory (Dilger 1956). In northern hardwood forests, bred in 77% of disturbed and successional habitats available, but in only 18% of mature undisturbed habitats available (Noon et al. 1979). 
• In the Apostle Islands of Wisconsin, found mostly in aspen and red oak forests where understory is most dense (Beals 1960). Of 826 observations in Wisconsin from 1995-2000, 31.2% were in upland hardwood forest, 19% in upland mixed forest, 12% in lowland hardwood forest, and 12% in lowland mixed forest (WSO 2002). In Michigan, of survey observations from 1983-1988, this species was found in wet and mesic forests, generally northern hardwoods and often with an evergreen component (Brewer et al. 1991).
• In New York, selects late shrub or early successional trees (Kendeigh 1945, 1946). In North Carolina highlands, inhabits mature oak forest (Odum 1950). In Appalachian Mountains, once absent from heights were spruces grow (Bent 1949); subsequently expanded into southern Appalachian spruce forests where congeners not present (Noon 1981).
• Habitat selection may depend on presence of other thrushes within breeding range. In Vermont, for example, where Veery shares breeding grounds with Swainson's Thrush, Veery breeds in deciduous forests only; in Tennessee, by contrast, where Swainson's Thrush is absent, Veery uses deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests (Noon 1977). Veery appears in earlier succession than Wood Thrush (Bertin 1977) and often in wetter areas (Morse 1971).
• Nest typically on or near ground.  In Ontario, of 290 nests, 62% were elevated and 38% were on the ground; elevated nests more likely to be in deciduous trees (Peck and James 1987). In Maine, of 138 nests, 36% in stands of red maple, 24% in alders (Morse 1971). 
• During migration, found in lower growth of forest, forest edges, and second-growth woodlands (Ridgely and Tudor 1989). 
• On wintering grounds, found in tropical broadleaf evergreen forest (Rappole et al. 1983), forest edge, open woodland, and second growth (Meyer de Schauensee and Phelps 1978, Hilty and Brown 1986).

Behavior

• Diet primarily insects during the breeding season and fruit in late summer and fall (Dilger 1956, R. Bertin in Sousa 1982); in winter, fruits and invertebrates (Rappole et al. 1983).
• Monogamous (Dilger 1956); pair-bonding takes several days during which both sexes sing back and forth to each other (Laughlin and Kibbe 1985).
• Within its species, Veery distinguishes between vocalizations of neighbors and strangers and reacts quickly to strangers with vocal responses (Weary et al. 1987). Males defend territories, chasing interlopers away (Holmes and Robinson 1988). In high-conflict situations, rival males fight by raising their bill and snapping it forward (Andrew 1961).
• Territory sizes range from 0.10 ha to a few hectares (Bertin 1975). In Ontario, average territory size was 0.25 ha (Martin 1960).
• Fewer hostile displays associated with interspecific clashes than intraspecific ones. In areas where Wood Thrush and Veery share habitat, hostile activity is minimal (Morse 1971).

Parasitism and Predation

• Brown-headed Cowbird a significant brood parasite. At least 19% of nests in Ontario parasitized (Peck and James 1987) and up to 87% of nests in Alberta and Manitoba (Friedmann et al. 1977).
• In Wisconsin, 4 of 477 confirmed Brown-headed Cowbird observations from 1995-2000 listed Veery as host species (WSO 2002). 
• Most likely, Veery has no instinctive defenses against cowbird incursions (Terborgh 1989) and Veery's open cup-shape nest eases cowbird deposition (Brewer et al. 1991).
• Snakes (Bent 1949, Pettingill 1976), red squirrels and chipmunks take eggs and/or nestlings (Forbush 1927). Domestic dogs and Blue Jays may also destroy nests. 
• Adults fly at predators and may attack them (Nice 1962, Pettingill 1976). Adult female observed to rear up with spread wings defending against Sharp-shinned Hawk (Day 1953).

Conservation and Management

• Fragmentation and loss of second-growth and woodland breeding habitat threaten populations, e.g., in southern Michigan. Increased forest fragmentation provides Brown-headed Cowbirds more access to forest interiors where Veeries nest.
• Since Veery prefers habitat with dense understory, areas cleared 40-60 years ago are much preferred to areas cleared 10-20 years ago (Suthers 1987-1988).
• On wintering grounds, probably has suffered from loss of preferred habitat - tropical broadleaf evergreen forest (Rappole et al. 1983). 
• BBS trend results from 1966-2000 (Sauer et al. 2001) in the Northern Spruce-Hardwoods region indicate the Veery population has declined significantly in this region  (-1.9, p=0.01 Trend Graph S28); likewise, in the Great Lakes Transition region, this species has experienced a decrease in numbers (-1.8, p=0.21 Trend Graph S20). Survey-wide (US and Canada), this species has shown a significant decline (-1.3, p=0.00 Trend Graph SUR).

References

• Andrew, F.J. 1961. The displays given by passerines in courtship and reproductive fighting: a review. Ibis 103a:315-341.
• Beals, E. 1960. Forest bird communities in the Apostle Islands of Wisconsin. Wilson Bull. 72:156-181.
• Bent, A.C. 1949. Life histories of North American thrushes, kinglets, and their allies. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 196.
• Bertin, R.I. 1975. Factors influencing the distribution of the Wood Thrush and Veery in western Connecticut woodland. Master's thesis, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs.
• Bertin, R.I. 1977. Breeding habitats of the Wood Thrush and Veery. Condor 79:303-311.
• Brewer, R., G.A. McPeek and R.J. Adams, Jr. 1991. The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing.
• Day, K.C. 1953. Home life of the Veery. Bird-Banding 24:100-106.
• Dilger, W.C. 1956. Adaptive modifications and ecological isolating mechanisms in the thrush genera Catharus and Hylocichla. Wilson Bull. 68:171-199.
• Friedmann, H., L.F. Kiff and S.J. Rothstein. 1977. A further contribution to knowledge of the host relations of parasitic cowbirds. Smithson. Contrib. Zool. 235:1-75.
• Hilty, S.L. and W.L. Brown. 1986. Birds of Columbia. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ.
• Holmes, R.T. and S.K. Robinson. 1988. Spatial patterns, foraging tactics, and diets of ground-foraging birds in a northern hardwoods forest. Wilson Bull. 100:377-394.
• Kendeigh, S.C. 1945. Community selection by birds on the Helderberg Plateau of New York. Auk 62:418-436.
• Kendeigh, S.C. 1946. Breeding birds of the beech-maple-hemlock community. Ecology 27:226-245.
• Kendeigh, S.C. 1948. Bird populations and biotic communities in northern lower Michigan. Ecology 29:101-114.
• Laughlin, S.B. and D.P. Kibbe. 1985. The atlas of breeding birds of Vermont. Univ. Press of New England, Hanover, NH.
• Meyer de Schauensee, R.M. and W.H. Phelps, Jr. 1978. A guide to the birds of Venezuela. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ.
• Morse, D.H. 1971. Effects of the arrival of a new species upon habitat utilization by two forest thrushes in Maine. Wilson Bull. 83:57-65.
• Nice, M.M. 1962. Observations on breeding behavior of Veeries in Michigan. Bird-Banding 33:114.
• Noon, B.R. 1977. The ecology of an avian ground-foraging guild in eastern montane forests. Ph.D. diss., State Univ. of New York, Albany.
• Noon, B.R. 1981. The distribution of an avian guild along a temperate elevational gradient; the importance and expression of competition. Ecol. Monogr. 51:105-124.
• Noon, B.R., V.P. Bingman and J.P. Noon. 1979. The effects of changes in habitat on northern hardwood forest bird communities. Pp. 33-48 in Proceedings of the workshop: management of western forests and grasslands for nongame birds (R.M. DeGraaf and K.E. Evans, compilers). U.S. Dept. Agric., For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Report INT-86, Washington, D.C.
• Odum, E.P. 1950. Bird populations of the Highlands (North Carolina) Plateau in relation to plant succession and avian invasion. Ecology 31:587-605.
• Peck, G.K. and R.D. James. 1987. Breeding birds of Ontario: nidiology and distribution. Vol. 2. Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.
• Pettingill, O.S., Jr. 1976. Observed acts of predation on birds in northern lower Michigan. Living Bird 15:33-41.
• Rappole, J.H., E.S. Morton, T.E. Lovejoy III, and J.L. Ruos. 1983. Nearctic avian migrants in the neotropics. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Washington, D.C.
• Ridgely, R.S. and G. Tudor. 1989. The birds of South America. Vol. 1. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin.
• Sauer, J.R., J.E. Hines and J. Fallon. 2001. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966-2000. Version 2001.2, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.
• Sousa, P.J. 1982. Habitat suitability index models: Veery. FWS/OBS-82/10.22. U.S. Fish and Wildl. Serv., Washington, D.C.
• Suthers, H.B. 1987-1988. Old field succession and bird life in the New Jersey sourlands. Records of New Jersey Brids 13:54-64.
• Terborgh, J. 1989. Where have all the birds gone? Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ.
• Tubbs, A.A. 1980. Riparian bird communities of the Great Plains. Pp. 419-433 in Proceedings of the workshop: management of western forests and grasslands for nongame birds (R.M. DeGraaf and K.E. Evans, compilers). U.S. Dept. Agric., For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Report INT-86, Washington, D.C.
• Weary, D.M., R.E. Lemon and E.M. Date. 1987. Neighbour-stranger discrimination by song in the Veery, a species with song repertoires. Can. J. Zool. 65:1206-1209.
• Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. 2002. Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas.