So, a lot of people will tell you that the Hermit Thrush, one of North America's leading forest-nesting songbirds, is not much to look at. But actually it's quite something up close, with its spotted breast and reddish tail. Of course, once you hear one of these little guys sing, you're sold. Described as flute-like and haunting, the song of the Hermit Thrush is one of the best things you'll come across in a winter forest in California. Alas, May is the month when these birds head north to breed in the dense forests of the American Rockies, Canada, and Alaska.