The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma
rufum) is a species of thrasher, part of a family
of New World birds (Mimidae) that includes New
World catbirds and mockingbirds.
The Brown Thrasher is, as the
name suggests, mostly brown or reddish-brown
above, with a white breast and throat streaked
with brown, and two white bars on each wing.
It has a long tail, and its beak is also relatively
large and somewhat curved. Adults average about
29 cm (11.5 in) in length.
It is difficult to see all this
however, as the bird is a retiring type that
prefers thickets and heavy brush, often searching
for food in dry leaves on the ground. In fact,
it is more likely to be heard than seen, not
only because of the rattling of leaves, but
also because of its call, a sharp lip-smacking
type sound. This bird is omnivorous, eating
insects, berries, nuts and seeds, as well as
earthworms, snails and sometimes lizards.
Its breeding range includes the
United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains.
It is a partial migrant, with northern birds
wintering in the southern USA, where it occurs
throughout the year. There is a single British
record of this unlikely transatlantic vagrant.
The female lays 3 to 5 eggs in
a twiggy nest lined with grass. The nest is
built in a dense shrub or low in a tree. Both
parents incubate and feed the young. These birds
raise two, rarely three, broods in a year. The
male sings a series of short repeated melodious
phrases from an open perch to defend his territory
and is also very aggressive in defending the
nest.
Although this bird is widespread
and still common, it has declined in numbers
in some areas due to loss of suitable habitat.
The Brown Thrasher is the official
state bird of Georgia, and the inspiration for
the name of Atlanta's National Hockey League
team, the Atlanta Thrashers.
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