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Brown Thrasher - (Toxostoma rufum)
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May
6, 2009 - Another summer visitor stopped by today. The
brown thrasher, whose name ought to be cinnamon
thrasher, hopped into view in the ground feeder area.
He even showed an interest in the cracked corn that was
placed in Food Guy's red ground feeder. Then after
exploring the ground around it he quickly hopped back in
the leaves under the lilac bushes. As usual, because
he's a fast mover and he's reluctant to come too close,
he makes photography a challenge. The thrasher part of
his name comes from his noisy feeding style of turning
vegetation and stones while looking for insects.
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| The brown thrasher appearing in the
spring of 2008 was a huge surprise. It's beautiful
cinnamon color was like no other bird that had been seen
in our yard. The long tail and the streaked breast made
him relatively easy to find in the first bird book we
consulted. The bright yellow eyes clinched the ID. It
took him a while to master how to get suet from the
feeder. How to hang on and how to compete with the
hungry, hairy woodpecker became easier with lots of
patient practice. He spent all that day perfecting the
task. |
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| After the initial sighting he wasn't
seen again for several weeks after that, so it was
assumed he had moved on. He and a mate were seen much
more frequently from the beginning of May until the
first week of July. In all that time they scurried and
scratched on the ground under the feeders. The original
hard won suet eating bird may well have just been an
adventurous cousin. |
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| Size: |
Length: 11.5 in
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Weight: 2.4 oz |
Wingspan: 12.5-13
in |
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ID:
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Male: Rusty red above; white
to pale buff underparts with heavy, dark
streaking; two white wing bars; bright yellow
eyes; slightly curved dark bill; long tail
Female: Same as male
Juvenile: has grayish eye color, but otherwise
resembles adult |
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| Habitat: |
Dense shrubs, woodland
edges, and thickets |
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| Diet: |
Insects (especially
beetles), fruit and berries; feeds under trees
and bushes; ground feeds on mixed seed and
millet; noisy feeder due to foraging and tossing
over leaves and debris |
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| Family Behavior: |
Mating Habits: Monogamous
and solitary; 1-2 broods per year; new mate for
second brood; returns to established territory
each year
Local Breeding Period: Mid-May
Nests: Cup shaped and made of twigs, weeds and
leaves, lined with fine grasses; built on
ground, bush or small tree; nesting time, May to
June
Eggs: 2-6 white with pale greenish blue tinge
and speckled brown and black markings; female
and male incubate 11-14 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked, eyes
closed) and stay in nest 9-13 days; fed by both
parents |
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| Social Activities: |
Solitary or in pairs;
heavily defends territory |
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| Range: |
Breeding: Eastern and
Central US and southern Canada
Winter: Migrates to Southeastern US |
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| Vocalization: |
Repeats twice musical
phrases; mimics songs of neighboring birds;
thought to hold the record of all North American
birds with more than 1100 different song types;
often performs while sitting in low, dense
shrubs |
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| Lifespan: |
Up to 13 years |
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