Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is a common mockingbirds and thrasher found in 7 countries, weighing about 69 g. The brown thrasher, sometimes erroneously called the brown thrush or fox-coloured thrush, is a bird in the family Mimidae, which also includes the New World catbirds and mockingbirds.
About the Brown Thrasher
The brown thrasher, sometimes erroneously called the brown thrush or fox-coloured thrush, is a bird in the family Mimidae, which also includes the New World catbirds and mockingbirds. The brown thrasher is abundant throughout the eastern and central United States and southern and central Canada, and it is the only thrasher to live primarily east of the Rockies and central Texas. It is the state bird of Georgia.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The brown thrasher is bright reddish-brown above with thin, dark streaks on its buffy underparts. It has a whitish-colored chest with distinguished teardrop-shaped markings on its chest. Its long, rufous tail is rounded with paler corners, and eyes are a brilliant yellow. Its bill is brownish, long, and curves downward. Both male and females are similar in appearance. The juvenile appearance of the brown thrasher from the adult is not remarkably different, except for plumage texture, indiscreet upper part markings, and the irises having an olive color.
What the Brown Thrasher sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, with peak activity in May. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Brown Thrasher?
- The brown thrasher is bright reddish-brown above with thin, dark streaks on its buffy underparts. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Brown Thrasher?
- The Brown Thrasher is a medium sized bird weighing about 69 g.
- Where can you see a Brown Thrasher?
- The Brown Thrasher occurs in 7 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas and St. Pierre & Miquelon.
- What does a Brown Thrasher sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Brown Thrasher on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Brown Thrasher?
- The Brown Thrasher is most easily confused with the Curve-billed Thrasher, the California Thrasher and the Long-billed Thrasher.
- Is the Brown Thrasher endangered?
- The Brown Thrasher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Brown Thrasher for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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