The Brown-backed Solitaire (Myadestes occidentalis or "Western Fly-eater") is considered a thrush

Thrush (bird)

The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...

 and is placed in the family Turdidae. It is a medium-sized bird about 21 centimeters (8 inches) long. It is a mostly grayish bird with brown flight feathers (hence the "Brown back" when it is perched), a white eye ring and white retrice (tail) feathers.

Habitat and range

It is relatively common in the mountains of Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and northern Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

. It tends to be found in semi-deciduous mountain forests, including mixed pine-oak forests. It is often found near streams.

In the American Birding Association Area, it is Code 5. One singing bird was found in Miller Canyon, in the Huachuca Mountains

Huachuca Mountains

The Huachuca Mountain range is part of the Sierra Vista Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest. The Huachuca Mountains are located in Cochise County, Arizona approximately south-southeast of Tucson and southwest of the city of Sierra Vista, Arizona...

 of Southeastern Arizona

Arizona

Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...

, and documented by the youth birding Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours' Camp Chiricahua in July 2009. This bird was the first accepted record of this species in the ABA area, notable since several other previous records had been rejected due to question of origin.
The bird was located, identified, and documented by Benjamin Van Doren, Philippa Tanford, James Warren, Fer Farias, Ted Stiritz, Erich Lehner, Benjamin Vizzachero, Ethan Gyllenhaal, Megan O'Brien, Brian Magnier, Vincent Pellegrino, and leaders Robert Day, Dave Jasper, and Rebekah McIntyre. A heard-only bird in Morse Canyon, Chiricahuas, Arizona, was documented by John Yerger in May 2011, and is pending acceptance. A wildfire

Wildfire

A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...

 shut down the trail, and the bird was not refound.

Voice

The Brown-backed Solitaire's song is a crescendo of accelerating, descending notes, often described as flute- or bell-like. This species also has a squealing, metallic call and a raspy alarm call.

Taxonomy

Placed in the genus Myadestes

Myadestes

Myadestes is a genus of solitaires, medium-sized mostly insectivorous birds in the thrush family Turdidae.They are found in the Americas and Hawaii, where several island species have become extinct.-Species in taxonomic order:...

, the Brown-backed Solitaire is closely related to other thrushes sharing the common name of "solitaire."