Behavior
The Wood Thrush is primarily solitary, but occasionally forms mixed-species flocks in the winter. Its breeding territory range from 800 to at least 8000 square meters in size, and are used for nesting, gathering nest materials, and foraging. Some Wood Thrushes also defend a feeding territory in the winter. Territorial interactions are usually settled without physical contact, but in high-intensity encounters or nest defense, physical interactions with the feet or bill have been observed. Defense behaviors in response to nest predators include wing flicks, tail flicks, and raising the crest, sometimes escalating to dives and strikes.
This species has also been observed displaying a behavior known as anting. Anting occurs when a bird picks up a single ant or group of ants and rubs them on its feathers. The purpose of this behavior is unknown, but it is thought that the birds may be able to acquire defensive secretions from the ants possibly used for some medicinal purposes, or that it simply supplements the birds' own preen oil.
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