Toxostoma redivivum
adult
The California Thrasher is similar to its cousin the Crissal Thrasher, but their ranges do not overlap, they favor different habitats, and subtle structural differences also exist. In California Thrasher, the sexes are similar, as are adults and juveniles. All birds have unmarked, rich brown upperparts with brown underparts flushed orange-buff on the belly, flanks, and undertail. The pattern on the face comprises a faint buff supercilium and a pale throat bordered by a dark malar stripe. The eye is dark (Crissal has a yellow iris) and the bill, while long and downcurved, is marginally shorter than that of Crissal.
California Thrasher is present year-round in suitable chaparral woodland habitats in its narrow coastal Californian range. It is a secretive songbird, but once in a while it can be glimpsed running at speed from one patch of cover to another, tail cocked up. It is easiest to see in late winter and early spring, when males sing from prominent perches.
adult
adult
FACT FILE
LENGTH 12 in (30.5 cm)
FOOD Invertebrates, berries, and seeds
HABITAT Chaparral woodland and scrub
STATUS Locally common resident
VOICE Song often includes whistling and chattering phrases, with plenty of mimicry, each phrase repeated two or three times. Call is a soft tchuk
