Toxostoma rufum
adult
The Brown Thrasher is a richly marked, long-tailed songbird with a slender, downcurved bill. The sexes are similar. Adults have reddish-brown upperparts, tail, and wings, the latter with two black and white wingbars. The face is streaked and the eye has a yellow iris. The underparts are buffish white with dark streaks on the breast, belly, and flanks. Juveniles are similar to adults but with dark eyes.
The Brown Thrasher is present as a breeding species across much of northern North America, mainly from May to August. Birds migrate south in the fall and the winter range extends across southeast U.S.A., with numbers boosting resident populations. The species is skulking and generally secretive, except in spring, when territorial males sing and become easier to locate.
adult
adult
FACT FILE
LENGTH 11.5 in (29 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates, berries, and seeds
HABITAT Dense scrubby thickets
STATUS Widespread and common summer visitor; present year-round in the south of its range
VOICE Song is a series of fluty whistles, each phrase repeated two or three times. Calls include a sharp stukk and a softer chrrr
