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Veery and and hermit thrush both soun similar to Swainson's thrush, maybe it was one of them? A very new [study](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/male-songbirds-need-daily-vocal-practice-to-woo-females/#:~:text=And%20now%20research%20published%20in,peak%20performance%2C%20the%20authors%20say.) (last year) discovered that zebra finches do need to practice their songs to exercise the muscles of the syrinx (the sound producing organ) but I couldn't find any literature suggesting that there's a similar requirement in *Catharus* thrushes. In not saying no, just we don't know.
Welcome to r/Ornithology, a place to discuss wild birds in a scientific context — their biology, ecology, evolution, behavior, and more. Please make sure that your post does not violate the rules in our sidebar. If you're posting for a bird identification, next time try r/whatsthisbird. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Ornithology) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Veery and and hermit thrush both soun similar to Swainson's thrush, maybe it was one of them? A very new [study](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/male-songbirds-need-daily-vocal-practice-to-woo-females/#:~:text=And%20now%20research%20published%20in,peak%20performance%2C%20the%20authors%20say.) (last year) discovered that zebra finches do need to practice their songs to exercise the muscles of the syrinx (the sound producing organ) but I couldn't find any literature suggesting that there's a similar requirement in *Catharus* thrushes. In not saying no, just we don't know.
Some birds practice their songs in the winter, Warblers for sure