Bird Guide

Brown Thrasher vs Grey Catbird

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Brown Thrasher

Toxostoma rufum

Medium69 gShrubland

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.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Brown Thrasher
Recorded by The Nunn Guy · Alarm call · Nunn, Weld County, Colorado, United States · CC0
Photo: joy4birds · CC0
Grey Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)

Grey Catbird

Dumetella carolinensis

Small35 gShrubland

Adults weigh from 23.2 to 56.5 g (0.8 to 2.0 oz), with an average of 35–40 g (1.2–1.4 oz) They range in length from 20.5 to 24 cm (8.1 to 9.4 in) and span 22 to 30 cm (8.7 to 11.8 in) across the wings. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 8.4 to 9.8 cm (3.3 to 3.9 in), the tail is 7.2 to 10.3 cm (2.8 to 4.1 in), the culmen is 1.5 to 1.8 cm (0.6 to 0.7 in) and the tarsus is 2.7 to 2.9 cm (1.1 to 1.1 in). Gray catbirds are plain lead gray almost all over. The top of the head is darker. Voice: This species is named for its cat-like call. Like many members of the Mimidae (in particular mockingbirds), it also mimics the songs of other birds, as well as those of Hylidae (tree frogs), and even mechanical sounds. Because of its well-developed songbird syrinx, it is able to make two sounds at the same time. The alarm call resembles the quiet calls of a male mallard.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Grey Catbird
Recorded by Anonymous · Alarm call · West Point, Orange County, New York, United States · CC0
Photo: Ben Gruhot · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Brown Thrasher and Grey Catbird.