5.75 inches long. The Northern Waterthrush looks like a small thrush. It is dark brown on the back and the normally pale yellow underparts have dark brown streaks. Some birds may have white underparts. The eyebrow is pale yellow that stays even width or narrows behind the eye. The throat is usually finely spotted. The legs are dusky pink. The undertail coverts are white or buff and there are no tail spots. The similar Louisiana Waterthrush tends to show no yellowish eyebrow or undersides and does not have spots on the throat. Its leg color is brighter. The Ovenbird has a prominent eye ring rather than a pale eyebrow.
The Northern Waterthrush is a somewhat common spring and fall migrant from early April through most of May and again from mid August through mid September.
The Northern Waterthrush is frequently found near water. It constantly bobs its tail when it walks on the ground. It even bobs its tail when it flies to a branch. The similar Ovenbird does not bob its tail. The song is loud and fast ending with lower emphatic notes such as “weat, weat, weat, chechechecheche-chewchewchewchewchew”.
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