Habitat
Primarily coniferous forest (mainly spruce) and upland and riparian deciduous woodlands; also tall shrubby areas in taiga, willow and alder thickets near water, above tree line, upland and subalpine areas (Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959, McCaffery 1996). Breeding occurs primarily on shrubby habitats. In southern part of range nests in damp woodlands and valley bottoms where there are stands of shrubs, or spruce and fir forests at higher elevations. In treeless tundra regions, willow and alder thickets near water are characteristic breeding locations. Outside of tundra areas birds occur in shrubby locations such as mountain bogs and subalpine zones (Pogson et al. 1997).
References
Gabrielson, I. N. and F. C. Lincoln. 1959. The Birds of Alaska. The Stackpole Company, Harrisburg, PA and Wildl. Manage. Inst., Washington, D.C. 922 pp.
McCaffery, B.J. 1996. Distribution and relative abundance of gray-cheeked thrush (CATHARUS MINIMUS) and blackpoll warbler (DENDROICA STRIATA) on Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Unpub. Report USFWS. Bethel, Alaska.
Pogson, T. H., S. E. Quinlan, and B. Lehnhausen. 1997. A manual of selected neotropical migrant birds of Alaska national forests. USDA, USFS, Juneau, AK.
