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Hermit Thrush : Hermit Thrush Ciitaarayuli Even for those who live near a forest the "hermit," as I call this thrush, is hard to find (therefore, its English common name). But if you are quiet and sit and wait awhile, it's possible you'll hear its clear flute-like song during spring. If you are really lucky, you may even see this spotted russet-brown bird as it furtively flits along on the forest floor searching for insects, larvae and maybe a few berries. But listen for its ethereal song first, as it rises and falls up and down the scale, sometimes sounding like small muttered bells and at others like a drawn-out silvery tinkle. Indeed, its pure song is what gives the bird its scientific name, Catharus guttatus, meaning "pure-singing spotted bird." The Yupik people have two names for the Hermit thrush that I'm familiar with, Ciitaarayuli and Elagayuli. Ciitaarayuli, means, the one who is good at making the sound "ciitaar," which is yet another example of onometopoeia (remember, the name of the critter sounds like its call). Elagayuli, is a name shared with the Robin, and means "the one who is good at digging." Watch it for a while in its forest setting and you'll understand why it was given that name probably thousands of years ago. But on to the bird itself. Shhhhh! It's spring, and the male hermit is courting his mate. Watch, as wide-eyed he flicks his wings, then raises his small crest and assumes a sleek erect posture with his bill pointed upward. This guy means business, no doubt about that. Soon after business is consummated, 4 greenish-blue eggs are laid in a nest built by the female usually on the ground in a natural depression under spruce or birch trees. After two weeks of incubation by the female, during which she is fed by her mate, the young hatch into ugly chicks with gaping mouths which constantly demand stuffing. This is done first by the male, as the female does the brooding, then by both parents, for at least 12 more days when the now feathered young at last fledge from the nest and begin to fend for themselves. Since it takes a little practice to hunt mosquitoes and other winged insect quarry, however, it will be several more days till the young are completely on their own. Of course, the little hunters quite often become the hunted by such predators as sharp-shinned hawks and Goshawks. Thanks to their camouflage and furtive behavior, however, they are able to survive and flourish to produce more generations of "pure-singing spotted birds." The hermit has spread into more of North America than any other American thrush except for the Robin. Its secret may be that, like the Myrtle warbler, its diet includes not only meat but fruit. In addition to its preferred fare of grasshoppers, caterpillars, spiders, bees, beetles and ants, it has learned to get by during lean months on the fruit of dogwood, elderberry, raspberry, blueberry, cranberry and others. Ants are not only eaten by this remarkable bird. They are also used in a process called "anting," which involves picking up single ants or small groups of them and rubbing them on their feathers. This seems to be a way for the thrush (and many other birds) to acquire the defensive secretions (formic acid) of ants, primarily for their insecticidal, fungicidal and bactericidal properties. Speaking of feathers, have you ever wondered why thrushes and other birds bathe in water or saturate themselves in dust? By doing this, they are actively maintaining their plumage. Frequent dusting, in fact, helps to maintain an optimum amount of oil on the feathers. Excess plumage lipids and preen oil are absorbed by the dust and expelled along with dry skin and other debris. The amount of time and effort birds put into bathing and dusting indicates how important feather maintenance is. Shhhhh! There it is again ...that pure fluting trill ...repeated three times, sounding maybe like, Oh, holy holy,. .. ah, purity purity, ... eeh, sweetly sweetly. No doubt about it, spring is here. » List of Yupik Birds

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