---
title: "Gray-cheeked Thrush"
description: "Catharus minimus — Birds. The gray-cheeked thrush (Catharus minimus) is a medium-sized thrush."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/gray-cheeked-thrush
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Gray-cheeked Thrush

> Catharus minimus — Birds. The gray-cheeked thrush (Catharus minimus) is a medium-sized thrush.

- Scientific name: *Catharus minimus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `forest` (Forest)
- iNaturalist observations: 5214
- Wikidata: [Q1367569](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1367569)
- iNaturalist taxon: [12883](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/12883)

## Names

- en: Gray-cheeked Thrush
- de: Grauwangendrossel
- es: Zorzal cara gris
- fr: Grive à joues grises
- nl: Grijswangdwerglijster
- pt: Sabiá-de-cara-cinza / tordo-de-faces-cinzentas
- pl: Drozdek szarolicy

## Countries with the most observations

US (3007), CA (617), CO (92), MX (79), CR (42), PA (21), EC (13), RU (13), PT (6), HN (5), BZ (4), FR (3)

## Summary

The gray-cheeked thrush (Catharus minimus) is a medium-sized thrush. This species is 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) in length, and has the white-dark-white underwing pattern characteristic of Catharus thrushes. It is a member of a close-knit group of migrant species together with the veery and Bicknell's thrush; it forms a cryptic species pair with the latter. The gray-cheeked thrush is all but indistinguishable from Bicknell's thrush except by its slightly larger size and different song. The two were formerly considered conspecific. Of all the American spotted thrushes, the gray-cheeked has the most northern breeding range.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray-cheeked_thrush

## Photo

![Gray-cheeked Thrush](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/gray-cheeked-thrush/medium.jpg)

Photo: Adam Jackson · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/248630398

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/gray-cheeked-thrush?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).