It breeds in damp forests of North America and winters in South America. It hops through the forest floor while searching for insects and fruit.
Most birds are warm cinnamon brown above with small spots on the throat. Northwestern and northeastern populations tend to be darker brown.
During breeding, Veeries eat mostly insects and other small invertebrates; in late summer and fall, fruit becomes central to their diet. Researchers used GPS loggers on nine birds to study the first settled period in South America, examining positions from December through February.
Veeries breed in North America and move within the tropics between two settled periods in South America. Researchers tracked nine birds with GPS loggers during the first settled period, December–February. Their positions, together with earlier records of multiple birds at single sites, linked them to stunted forest on nutrient-poor soils at about 200–750 m on Brazil’s Shield, including elevated cerrado and white-sand enclaves.
Before the next intratropical migration, tracked birds showed three patterns: a prolonged stay at one site, shorter stays separated by moves, or apparent continual movement. These distinct patterns occurred during the same first non-transient period in South America.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The paper reports that the stunted forests identified on the Brazilian Shield are geographically limited and severely threatened by human land conversion. Given the habitat restriction and the species’ recent population decline, the authors propose reconsidering the Veery’s global conservation status.