General

Crissal Thrasher: Large thrasher with gray-brown upperparts and unstreaked, gray underparts. Throat is white with dark moustache stripe, eyes are yellow, and bill is long and strongly decurved. Tail is very long with chestnut-brown undertail coverts. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is paler and duller.

Range and Habitat

Crissal Thrasher: Resident from southern Nevada and southeastern California to western Texas and central Mexico. Preferred habitats include in dense, low scrubby vegetation, such as desert and foothill scrub and riparian brush.

Breeding and Nesting

Crissal Thrasher: One to four blue green eggs are laid in a nest made of twigs, lined with finer vegetation, and built in the middle of a dense shrub. Eggs are incubated for 14 days by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Crissal Thrasher: Eats insects, spiders, seeds, and berries; forages on the ground, tossing leaves and vegetation with its bill.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed, Nuts

Vocalization

Crissal Thrasher: Song is varied and musical, often with phrases repeated 2 or 3 times. Call is a repeated "chideery", a rich, warbled "cheeoo-ree-eep", or a "toit-toit-toit."

Similar Species

Crissal Thrasher: Le Conte's Thrasher is paler, has dark eyes, and only a wash of rust-brown undertail. Curve-billed Thrasher is paler, has faint spots on breast, orange eyes, and only a wash of rust-brown undertail. California Thrasher has dull buff belly and undertail, dark eyes, and is browner overall.