Bird of the Week

Brown Thrashers are sometimes erroneously called the brown thrush. The name misconception may be because the word thrasher is believed to derive from the word thrush.

It is abundant throughout the eastern and central United States and southern and central Canada, and it is the only thrasher to live primarily east of the Rockies.

Although the Brown Thrasher resides in various habitats, it prefers to live in woodland edges, thickets and dense brush where it searches for food in dry leaves on the ground.

The Brown Thrasher is an elusive bird and when threatened it usually hides in thickets and gives cackling calls. Its name does not come from attacking perceived threats, but is believed to have come from the thrashing sound the bird makes when digging through ground debris looking for insects. Its diet also includes berries, nuts and seeds, as well as earthworms, snails, and sometimes lizards and frogs.

During breeding season males are at their most active, singing loudly on top of perches to attract potential mates. The courting ritual involves the exchanging of probable nesting material. Males will sing gentler as they sight a female, and this prompts the female to grab a twig or leaf and present it to the male, with flapping wings and chirping sounds.

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Brown Thrasher Fun Facts

It is the state bird of Georgia.

Northern Cardinals and catbirds are major territorial competitors.

It boasts the largest song variety of any North American bird, capable of singing over 1,100 distinct song types.

The Brown Thrasher is known to strike people and dogs hard enough to draw blood!

It is a member of the Mockingbird family.

Brown Thrashers are the largest common host species for Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Scientists have observed a thrasher digging a small hole, placing an acorn in it, and then hitting it until it cracked open – a clever way to use a “tool”!

Click here to watch one kicking up some dust.

Click here to watch one ground foraging.