When I heard loud singing coming from the top of a tree, I glanced up and saw a shape that reminded me of a mockingbird. Looking more closely, I realized that the colors looked more like those of a female Red-winged Blackbird, but the shape of the body and behavior were not those of a blackbird. Although I was pretty far away, I noticed that the bird had startlingly light-colored eyes. What was this bird?
Thanks to its physical characteristics, it was not hard to locate this bird in my identification book when I got home—it is a Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum). According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Brown Thrashers are exuberant singers, with one of the largest repertoires of any North American songbird.” The same article notes that some early naturalists thought that the Brown Thrasher’s musical abilities are underappreciated, as compared with the mockingbird, which has received greater acclaim. “Brown Thrasher” somehow sounds to me like it should be associated more with a heavy metal band than with this pretty bird. Maybe this bird needs a better marketing strategy and a public relations campaign.
The sky was heavily overcast the day I took these shots. Normally I don’t like the look of the washed-out skies, but in this case I really like the effect. One of my Facebook viewers commented that it made the photo that I posted (the first one below) look like an Audubon print.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Beautiful bird, Mike. I like how you have him framed in that bottom photo, but they’re all very good.
Thanks, Dan. I often choose a single shot for my posts, but when I can’t decide among a number of them, I will post all of them. Generally that means that I like each of them for different reasons. That was definitely the case with the Brown Thrasher.
I grew up with brown thrashers all around, but I swear I’ve never heard one sing. Usually, I find them on the ground, kicking around in the leaves and looking for bugs. If I hear something that sounds like a mockingbird, but different, I’ll have to take another look.
I honestly had no idea what kind of bird it was and now have seen one twice perched high in a tree. I like the fact that I was able to capture it mid-song in the final shot.
Generally that means that I like each of them for different reasons. beautiful dame, Mike.