Bird Guide

Brown Thrasher vs Long-billed Thrasher

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

Recording: The Nunn Guy · CC0
Photo: lwolfartist · CC BY 2.0
Long-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre)

Long-billed Thrasher

Toxostoma longirostre

Medium68 gShrubland

This bird is slender and long-tailed, averaging 26.5–29 cm (10.5–11.5 in) in length and about 70 g (2.5 oz) in weight. It is a large-sized thrasher that is close in size to the American robin. T. longirostre ssp. sennitti is described with a grayish-brown crown with a rufous color appearing in the back, rump, rear, and shoulder. Broad white tips located on the greater and lesser primary coverts and dullish-brown with rufous brown edges on the primary and secondary coverts gives the closed wings a rufous appearance. Voice: The song is warbling and resembles other thrashers' songs but is especially rich and musical, though occasionally scratchy. Phrases are often repeated two to four times.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: er-birds · 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 Long-billed Thrasher.