Brown Thrasher

Overview

The brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is a passerine bird in the family Mimidae, distinguished as the only thrasher species that lives primarily east of the Rocky Mountains and central Texas. It is abundant throughout the eastern and central United States and southern and central Canada, and serves as the state bird of Georgia.

Identification

• Bright reddish-brown upper parts and buffy underparts with thin, dark streaks, featuring a whitish chest with teardrop-shaped markings.
• Brilliant yellow eyes and a long, brownish bill that curves downward.
• Adults measure 23.5 to 30.5 cm in length, with a wingspan of 29 to 33 cm and a weight averaging 68 g.
• Possesses the largest song repertoire of any North American bird, with over 1,000 songs, usually repeated in two or three phrases.

Habitat

The species prefers woodland edges, thickets, and dense brush, though it can also inhabit agricultural and suburban areas. Its breeding range includes the United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains, with some migration to wintering grounds in the Carolinas, Georgia, and further south.

Diet

An omnivore, the brown thrasher feeds on insects, berries, nuts, seeds, earthworms, snails, and occasionally lizards and frogs. It forages on the ground by scouring under leaves and soil debris, often swiping the floor in side-to-side motions, and may hammer nuts such as acorns to remove their shells.

Did you know?

The brown thrasher was observed digging a hole about 1.5 cm deep, placing an acorn inside, and hitting it until it cracked, a behaviour considered a form of tool usage.