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Ornithological Presentation
Louisiana and Northern Waterthrushes

Study skins from the collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences

by Adrian Binns 12/04

 

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH

Seiurus noveboracensis

LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH

Seiurus motacilla

Name

Seiurus from the Greek seio, meaning “to wave”, and oura “tail”.

Novaboracensis meaning “of New York”, where the bird was first found.

Motacilla: Latin for “wagtail”.

Waterthrush comes from its haunts and that the streaks on the breast look “as distinguished as a thrush”

Habitat

 Cool wooded bogs, swamps and slow streams. Fast flowing hillside streams

Underpart color

 Tends to be even colored, either whitish or yellowish Usually shows buffy flanks that contrast with white underparts

Supercillum

 Narrrow whitish, buffy or yellowish tinged supercillum of even width or slightly narrowing behind the eye. Usually uniform in color.
Click Here to see image 		Bright white supercillum that broadens towards the rear. Usually has a grayish pale buff coloration in front of the eye, but always gleaming white behind the eye.
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Eye line / stripe

 Narrower and darker transocular line than on Louisiana. It is the same dark brown color as on the crown and back
Click Here to see image 		Browner and less distinct
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Eye-arc

  On average, the white lower eye-arc is broader and more conspicuous

Bill

 Smaller bill
Click Here to see image		 Longer and heavier billed.
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Throat

 Small thin dark streaks on the throat of most all Northerns
Click Here to see image 		Usually plain white and unspotted
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Breast

 Dense black streaks across the breast sharply defined and more apt to be organized into length-wise rows.
Click Here to see image 		Sparser browner, broader and more blurred streaking and not  as dense across the breast
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Legs
 Dull / drab pink legs. Darker leg color than Louisiana. Tend to be brighter “bubble gum” pink  in spring
Undertail Coverts
 In the hand, the large dark centers of the undertail coverts are diagnostic
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In the hand, Louisiana has small, diffuse gray centers on the undertail coverts.
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Shorter tailed than Northern
Tail movement
 Constantly bobs its tail up-and-down and usually rapidly. Bobs its tail more slowly and in a semicircular (side to side) pattern

Notes:

 Bulkier than Northern, with a heavier body.

Call note

 A sharp spwik, rising with a strong k sound. Slightly sharper than Louisiana and a little more metallic. Similar to Northern. A loud, strong spich not as hard as Northern.

 

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