Brown Thrasher

Toxostoma rufum 
Mockingbird family (Mimidae)

Long slender body, long tail, 10” long. Reddish-brown above, whitish underparts coarsely streaked with black, two whitish wing bars, yellow eyes, long downcurved bill.

Habitat:
Dense thickets of shrubby vegetation.

Nesting:
Bulky nest built in shrubs or low trees, close to or on the ground. Eggs are light blue with fine dark markings. Clutch size – 3 to 5 eggs.

Voice:

Song is a loud series of twice-repeated phrases.  Mimics other birds. 

Name Origin:

Toxostoma:  toxon, Greek for “bow”; stoma, Greek for “a mouth”; literally “bow mouth” for its curved beak; rufum, Latin for “reddish.  “Thrasher” from English for “thrush”, not connected with “thrash”, “to beat”.

In the Nature Park:
Short-distance migrant, arrives in March. One year, we found a Brown Thrasher nest at the base of a tree right next to the parking lot at the main entrance of the Nature Park. Despite their large size, Brown Thrashers are cryptic and remain well concealed in dense shrubby vegetation.

Photos: