General

Brown Thrasher: Medium-sized thrasher with rufous upperparts and black-streaked, pale brown underparts. Eyes are yellow and bill curves down. Wings have two white and black bars. Tail is long. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has dark eyes.

Range and Habitat

Brown Thrasher: This species breeds from southeastern Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New England south to the Gulf coast and Florida. It is a resident in the southern states from Texas to Virginia. It spends winters in southern part of breeding range. Its preferred habitats include shrubs and small trees.

Breeding and Nesting

Brown Thrasher: Two to six white to pale blue eggs, with light brown specks, are laid in a large nest built from sticks, grass, leaves, and rootlets, lined with grass, and built near the ground in a dense, often thorny bush. Incubation ranges from 11 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Brown Thrasher: Feeds on insects, small amphibians, fruits, and some grain. Runs quickly on the ground when foraging, turning leaves over with bill to find food.

Readily Eats

Cracked Corn, Millet, Sunflower

Vocalization

Brown Thrasher: Male sings conversation-like phrases with varied phrases given in phrases of two's and three's. Call is a bold "smack" or "churr."

Similar Species

Brown Thrasher: Long-billed Thrasher has more gray-brown upperparts, darker streaks on dull white underparts, longer, more decurved bill, orange-red eyes, and long gray-brown tail.