Brown thrasher, Toxostoma rufum / written by Terry Johnson ; graphic design by Kristi Hoggard ; illustration by David Lanier

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rowTnhrasher

Toxostoma

rufum REl~EIVED

i\PR 1 9 1995

One of Georgia's most fascinating songbirds, the brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) holds the unique distinction of being Georgia's State Bird. It was so proclaimed by Governor Eugene Talmadge on April 6, 1935. Subsequently, upon the urging of the Garden Clubs of Georgia, the brown thrasher was named the Official State Bird by the General Assembly in 1970.
DESCRIPTION
The brown thrasher, which is slightly larger tl1an a robin, weighs approximately 2 3/4 ounces and is roughly 11 1/2 inches long. It has a rufous brown back, a long tail and a forn1idable bill tl1at is slightly down-curved. The brown thrasher is the only long-tailed, brown-backed bird with a streaked breast found in Georgia. Males and females are colored alike.
Some writers suggest that the thrasher gets its nan1e from its habit of twitching its tail up and down, reminiscent of a farmer hand-thrashing grain.
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NATURAL HISTORY
Except in the spring, when male thrashers sing from atop tall trees, the bird is rarely seen far from the ground. Although they are strong flyers, capable of attaining speeds of 19-22 miles per hour, they seldom fly far.

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When on tl1e ground, they walk, run and even hop from place to place, easily moving through the thick tangles where they feed and nest.
Thrashers feed mainly on the ground, an1ong the fallen leaves beneath shrubs and small trees. As the thrasher feeds, it flips leaves skyward. When a particularly hard food item is discovered, the bird will attack it with gusto. This commonly results in a small crater being fanned, since the thrasher does not hold food with its feet as do blue jays and many otl1er songbirds.
The bulk of tl1e thrasher's diet consists of small animals such as beetles, grasshoppers, boll weevils, tent caterpillars, June bugs, Japanese beetles, rose beetles, gypsy moth caterpillars and spiders. They will also tackle much larger prey such as small snakes, tree frogs and lizards. Yet, one third of its diet is made up of plant material, including blackberries, holly berries, pokeberries, figs, elderberries, acorns and corn. Today, the tl1rasher often visits bird feeders. This was not always the case. At the turn of

DOCUMENTS UGA UBRARIF"
the century, brown tl1rashers were extremely rare visitors at feeders. However, as literally millions of people are now feeding birds, thrashers have slowly begun to accept human handouts. At times they will even feed at hunrmingbird feeders. However, they are more likely to feed on bird seed scattered on the ground or on a low feeding table. Some of the foods relished by brown thrashers include scratch feed, sunflower seeds, sliced oranges and even cornbread. Thrashers have also been known to leap into the air to catch flying insects.
If you are lucky enough to attract a thrasher to your feeder, you will quickly learn that they don't get along well with other birds. Preferring to dine alone, they will chase away others with thrusts of their dagger-like bills. Thrashers commonly visit bird baths, especially tl1ose placed close to the ground. They most often bathe after a rain. The tl1rasher approaches a bird bath with extreme caution, however, bathing only after it is thoroughly convinced that no enemy lurks nearby.

The brown thrasher is an accom- picking up a dead leaf and hopping

tural practices. Modern farm

plished songster. In fact, male

toward her. After the birds have

thrashers have the largest repertoire of paired off, the male will establish a

machinery is often quite large and requires big fields in which to



songs of any North American bird (in feeding territory that ranges from 2-10 maneuver. Consequently, farmers

excess of 1,100 song types). The

acres in size. Both birds will carefully have removed the countless miles of

male will sing without stopping for

search for a nesting site and share in

brushy fence-rows that once

several minutes at a time. To the

the nest-building duties, which take

rimmed a patchwork of small fields.

untrained ear, the songs of the

from 5-7 days. Nests are often built in Today's agricultural fields often

thrasher are often mistaken for those

layers or "baskets", each basket being stretch from horizon to horizon.

of his close relatives, the mockingbird composed of a layer of leaves, twigs

Soybeans, corn and cotton now

and catbird. However, as a rule,

and perhaps even paper. The "cup" of grow where fence-rows once

catbirds usually repeat each phrase

the nest is lined with rootlets. Nests

provided habitat for brown thrash-

only once, the brown thrasher twice

are roughly one foot in diameter and

ers, quail, indigo buntings, logger-

and the mockingbirds three times.

are constructed in shrubs or small

head shrikes and other birds.

While thrashers have the ability to

trees, 1-10 feet above the ground.

Ornamental planting can be of

mimic other birds, they do not do so

Nests are also often found in brush

tremendous importance to our State

as often as mockingbirds.

piles, or directly on the ground.

Bird. Small trees and shrubs

The female lays 3-6 pale blue

should be the focal point of any

eggs, finely speckled with brown.

planting efforts. Ideally, they

Males and females share incubation

should not be too thick as to be

duties. The eggs hatch in 9-13 days.

impenetrable. At the same time,

In early nests, all the eggs hatch at the they shouldn't be too open so as to

same time, but later in the season tl1e

allow the birds and their nests to be

eggs often do not hatch together.

detected by predators. Addition-

Upon hatching, tl1e voraciously

ally, trees and shrubs should be

hungry young are fed by both parents. thick enough to provide protection

At this time of the year, thrashers

from the elements during harsh

vigorously defend their young from

weather. Red cedar and flowering

hwnans and potential predators. After quince fit this bill perfectly, while

tl1e young have fledged, the female

hawthorns provide excellent nesting

will often build a second nest and lay

cover.

another clutch of eggs while her mate

Some plants, such as the

cares for the first brood. Don't be

pyracantha and nandina, are im-

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DISTRIBUTION

surprised if you find the eggs of a brown-headed cowbird in a thrasher nest. Brown-headed cowbirds lay

portant sources of food during the late winter when other food supplies are low. In addition, berries

their eggs in other birds nests. The

of these plants are quite decorative

The brown thrasher is a common thrasher is the largest songbird to be

in any landscape plan.

resident throughout Georgia; how-

parasitized by the cowbird.

ever, in winter it is far less conunon

Most brown thrashers live less

north of the Fall line. Brown thrash-

than one year in the wild.

ers can be found from the Rocky

Mountains eastward throughout Southern Canada and the Eastern

MANAGEMENT

United States.

LIFE CYCLE
Brown thrashers begin nesting as early as March and as late as July. The male attracts his mate by singing. The female, in turn, will pick up a twig and hop towards the male while rapidly fluttering her wings and chirping. Often the male responds by

Habitat management for brown tl1rashers should center around providing adequate water, food, nesting sites and escape cover. In backyard situations, water can be provided through construction of small pools or bird baths. Shallow baths placed on. tl1e ground near shrubs seem to work best for this species.
Tl1rasher populations have suffered greatly from modern agricul-