brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION:

• Length: 10 inches

• Slender bill with base of lower mandible yellow

• Rufous crown, nape and upperparts

• Gray face

• Yellow eye

• White underparts with heavy black streaking

• White wing bars

• Long rufous tail

• Yellow legs

• Sexes similar

• Most often found in dense vegetation in hedgerows, old fields, and          wood edges where it often forages on the ground

Similar species:

With its rufous upperparts and long tail the brown thrasher might be
confused with the local long-billed thrasher (south Texas) but it has
a shorter, less decurved bill and a browner face. Thrushes are similar
but are spotted below and have shorter tails.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status: Short distance migrant
Breeding Habitat: Successional-scrub
Nest Location: Ground-low nesting
Nest Type: Open-cup
Clutch Size: 2-5
Length of Incubation: 11-14 days
Days to Fledge: 9-13
Number of Broods: 2, rarely 3?
Diet: Mostly fruit; lesser quantities of insects, seeds, reptiles or
   amphibians

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May C
      Su - Summer: June, July, August U
      Fall: September, October, November C

      Winter: December, January, February R

 

 

Back to Inventory of Bird Families and Species