<P> The wood thrush 's breeding range extends from Manitoba , Ontario and Nova Scotia in southern Canada to northern Florida and from the Atlantic coast to the Missouri River and the eastern Great Plains . It migrates to southern Mexico through to Panama in Central America in the winter , mostly in the lowlands along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts . It generally arrives on the U.S. Gulf Coast during the first week of April . Fall migration usually begins in mid-August and continues through mid-September . Migration takes place at night , allowing them to find their direction from the stars and orient themselves by detecting the Earth 's magnetic field . </P>
when do wood thrushes fly when they are migrating
in the winter