Brown Thrasher

Rare Thrasher Appears 

Brown Thrasher

Earlier this week a Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum appeared at a feeder up river from Fredericton in Lower Queensbury.  The Brown Thrasher is a member of the Mimidae family or the mimics.  It is a vocal bird similar to the Mockingbird, also a member of the same family.  It sings a long, melodious phrase usually repeated 2 or 3 times.  Its call note is a 'churr' or a smacking 'spuck' sound.

Several years ago we had a Brown Thrasher here on our property in Fredericton.  I was attracted to the edge of our field by the voluminous, loud sound that bird was making.  On inspection, I saw a beautiful thrasher doing just that, thrashing.  It was scratching and scrambling around in the leaves in a hedgerow using its long curved bill to flip up the leaves and debris, looking for insects, seeds, and other invertebrates.  The bird seen this week was feeding on seeds on the ground under the feeder.

 Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrasher is rare in this area.  It normally breeds and spends its summers in the northern and central parts of the US, southern Ontario and the prairies.  It winters in the southeastern US. There are seven species of thrashers in the US.  They are generally large brown ground-dwelling birds many of arid zones.  They often run with their tail held high in the air.  There have been population declines in the Brown Thrasher in the northeast mainly because of habitat loss.

Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrasher is a large bird, 29 cm long (11.5 in), slightly larger than the Blue Jay.  The rusty brown on its back and brilliant stripes on the breast are stunning.  Watch for it at your feeders.  You never know what might show up this time of year.  It readily feeds on sunflower seeds, suet and nuts.  I bet peanut butter would be a welcome feast!