"N'tatoo. GJfA -Mr4l8 > < 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. . .... .1 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. .--i ''I 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- f):::,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,., ,.,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,>::::,:::;::',::::::':':',''''':':'>>,'::>:] 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-