(Toxostoma rufum)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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NatureServe | N5 - Secure SNRB - Unranked Breeding |
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Minnesota | not listed Species in Greatest Conservation Need |
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Description |
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Brown Thrasher is a medium sized, 11½″ long, slender bird with a wingspan of 13″. It weighs about 2.4 ounces. Males and females share the same size and appearance. The upper parts are bright reddish-brown (rufous). The chest and belly are whitish and heavily streaked with distinctive, tear-drop shaped spots. The elongated spots give the underparts an appearance usually described as “streaked”, as opposed to the “spotted” underparts of the Wood Thrush. The tail is rufous, rounded at the tip, and has pale corners. The eyes are bright orangish-yellow. The bill is long, brown, and downward-curved. |
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Size |
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11½″ in length 13″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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The song is long and complex and defies description. It consists of a series of short phrases, each repeated once. | ||
Similar Species |
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Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) wings are entirely brown, not barred. The underparts are spotted, not streaked. The eye is dark with a bold white ring. | ||
Habitat |
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Woodland edges, dense thickets, overgrown pastures. Rarely near human habitation but sometimes seen on the ground near bird feeders. |
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Ecology |
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Migration |
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Nesting |
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The male and female build a nest together in May or June. The nest is usually low in a tree or in a low shrub, sometimes on the ground. It is constructed of grass, twigs, and leaves, and is lined with fine vegetation. The female lays 3 to 5 eggs. The eggs hatch in 11 to 14 days. The young begin to leave the nest 9 to 13 days after hatching. There are usually two broods, sometimes three, each year. |
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Food |
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Insects and other arthropods, berries, nuts, and seeds. Berries and acorns in the winter. |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common migrant and breeder |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Passeriformes (perching birds) | ||
Family |
Mimidae (mockingbirds and thrashers) | ||
Genus |
Toxostoma (American thrashers) | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Western Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum longicauda) Eastern Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum rufum) |
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Synonyms |
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Visitor Photos |
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Jeff Kimbel |
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Has been coming to my feeder the last several days. Likes the suet feeder. Never seen one before in 22 years living here. | ![]() |
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Deb Minkkinen |
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Brown Thrashers Andover, MN I thought I'd send a picture of the 2 Brown Thrasher birds I wrote about a week ago. I caught this picture of them standing watch today. They are beautiful. I love that they will share the feeders with the smaller birds. But they are keeping the Gray Catbirds away. |
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Terri Ryan Jeff |
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Wayne Rasmussen |
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Richard Thrasher |
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A Brown Thrasher visited the Thrasher's today! |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Brown Thrasher JMC Nature Photos |
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Thrashers jt893x |
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Brown Thrasher Joshua Mayer |
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About
Toxostoma rufum |
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Brown Thrasher Craig A. Mullenbach |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum singing Rob Curtis |
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About
Published on Jun 30, 2014 Brown Thrasher, Toxostoma rufum, singing. Photo gallery at: |
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Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma Rufum) birdguyusa |
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About
Published on Jul 20, 2013 Brown Thrasher Toxostoma Rufum This was the first time I seen these guys and found them totally awesome. This is part 3 |
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A Song and a Bath Lew Scharpf |
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About
Published on May 17, 2013 This video features the Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) singing and taking a dust bath. Brown Thrashers are excellent singers and have one of the largest song repertoire of any bird in North America. They also frequently take dust baths which helps to keep their feather clean and dry. |
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Brown Thrasher PizzoEcology |
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About
Uploaded on Aug 17, 2009 Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) |
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Juvenile Brown Thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) preening colong7034 |
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About
Published on Aug 21, 2013 Juvenile Brown Thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) preening. Transylvania County, NC. Shot 8/21/13 |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Michael DeGidio Winter 2022-23 |
Location: Richfield, Minnesota A Brown Thrasher has been visiting the bird feeder hanging at our kitchen window all winter. |
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Jeff Kimbel 6/19/2020 |
Location: Forest Lake, MN Has been coming to my feeder the last several days. Likes the suet feeder. Never seen one before in 22 years living here. |
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Deb Minkkinen 5/14/2020 |
Location: Andover, MN I thought I'd send a picture of the 2 Brown Thrasher birds I wrote about a week ago. I caught this picture of them standing watch today. They are beautiful. I love that they will share the feeders with the smaller birds. But they are keeping the Gray Catbirds away. |
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Deb Minkkinen 5/7/2020 |
Location: Andover, MN I am reporting that yesterday (5/7/20) I have started seeing a brown thrasher in my front yard in Andover, MN. It appears to be trying to nest in a large bush in front of the house. I have a feeder in front of the kitchen window right next to the bush that attracts lots of small birds. I have had gray catbirds nest in the bush each spring for the last 3 years. I just started seeing a catbird too but it looks like the brown thrasher may be chasing them away this year. Fun to watch! |
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Terri Ryan Jeff 5/3/2020 |
Location: Bloomington MN |
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Elise Pechek 8/15/2019 |
Location: Hartley Park, Duluth, Minnesota |
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Neil 6/9/2019 |
Location: Monticello Nesting with babies in an arborvitae next to our house. |
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Kylene 5/22/2017 |
Location: Watson MN I have a pair of Brown Thrashers nesting in the very old honeysuckle right next to my house, near a window, I can see them sitting on the nest! |
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Richard Thrasher 5/21/2017 |
He's been scavenging under our bird feeder for the last couple days. First time we've had one that we've seen in our yard! |
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Libby F. 4/22/2017 |
Location: Near Blooming Prairie, Minnesota Beautiful song! It's been hanging out on the top of our tallest trees for 2 days now. |
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CaffeinedinMN 6/10/2016 |
Location: Cannon Falls This bird had amazing color (like the family Irish Setter) at my feeder this morning. |
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Wayne Rasmussen 5/29/2016 |
Location: Maplewood, MN (Maplewood Hts Park) Wayne's World of Graphics |
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Wendy Shavor 5/22/2016 |
Location: Sunrise, MN Watched one singing from the treetops in a wooded area for two mornings. Quite the variety of sounds! Had never seen one before, so had to figure out what it was. |
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Julie Jenson 5/11/2016 |
Location: Northeast Minneapolis Never saw one before. It was sitting in my lilac bush and flipping over the wood chips under the bird feeder. |
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Wally Swanson 5/1/2016 |
Location: St. Paul MN We've never seen this species of bird before, but it showed up this weekend in our backyard in the Lexington-Hamline neighborhood of St. Paul. It appears on the ground beneath our bird feeder. |
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Brian Borowski 4/28/2016 |
Location: Farmington MN This bird has been hanging out all week feeding of my bird feeder. Other birds do not like him. |
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Shawn 2/8/2016 |
Location: Spicer, MN First one I have ever seen in my yard! |
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Kevin 7/26/2015 |
Location: Oak Grove Just saw our first one |
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Kendi 5/7/2015 |
Location: anoka There is at least one that's been around our yard for the past week. |
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fike 5/10/2015 |
Location: coon rapids mn We sighted a pair at our ground feeding tray. Beautiful color. Have never had this type of bird at our feeder before. |
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Gay Smith 12/2/2014 |
Location: Maple Grove, MN Did not know they wintered here. He comes to my suet feeder everyday. Love watching him. |
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Steve 4/22/2014 |
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nanette hartman 6/26/2014 |
Location: green isle, mn just refilled bird feeder and attracted blue jays and a burd of similar marking and size. Light brown orange colored. Like a light burnt orange color. Upon research I am fairly positive it was a thrasher. (Of some sort) 2 flew in landed under bird feeder and fed off the ground as blue jays fed above. Looking at the one now. Kinda a orangy cocoa colored Bird. Never seen one before. |
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