Young Thrushes 

 Admittedly, I've never thought of this in the least interesting way, young pigeons are usually a nuisance and don't quite live up to the dictionary's expectations for a smooth and streamlined definition of "bird". Plus, thrushes are often underrated creatures themselves. Usually because they are ubiquitous in our homes. But then we heard her singing and got hooked.

Their sweet songs are often contrasted with many of their other vocalizations, some of which can be a bit harsh. For example, the stern siren of the glasses thrush annoys me so much - the birds will sit on our windows, stare at the cat in our apartment and yell at him (which I think is some sort of lewd insult).
But sometimes, especially during breeding season, these birds make some of the most complex and immediate juicy notes that make me reconsider how I feel about them. Most of the time, they seem a little pissed off. after all, If you search the internet for the word "thrush", the top result is a fungal infection. This is obviously a maddening situation for any sane thrush.

However, they have grown on me over the years. On a recent walk in Tobago's Main Ridge Forest Reserve, we saw a few thrushes still learning about their environment and exploring their world, and it reminded me of all the young thrushes I've known all my life. Back in Trinidad, spectacle thrush and cocoa thrush are nesting in our backyard. This gives us many opportunities to see her in various stages of growth.

 

A pair of bespectacled thrushes whose noisy life is just beginning.

 

This cocoa thrush seems to be considering whether leaving the lair is a bad idea.
It may look like an adult bird, but the red tips on this cocoa thrush's elytra tell us it's still in its first year of life. 

It may seem like a grown bird, but the rufous tips on the wing coverts of this Cocoa Thrush tell us it is still in its first year of life.

I had never seen other young thrushes before that last walk I just mentioned as the other species tend to breed in more remote environments far away from concentrated human settlement. Wise creatures.

First on the trail was a very vocal (albeit not yet melodious) Yellow-legged Thrush. 

 

 

Although I have seen many a White-necked Thrush over the years, I never before saw a young one. The rufous edging on many of its feathers shone brightly in the darkness of the rainforest.

There is great joy in birding, but combined with a philosophy of experiencing each individual with a clean slate without expectation is definitely something that elicits tremendous emotion. Surely I could’ve written off each sighting as one of a species I had seen before – but the question must be asked: have I truly seen a species after seeing a few individuals?