New-to-us Bird: Brown Thrasher

This fellow sang from the treetop where Older Daughter and I went looking for warblers.

He’s a good-sized bird with a rich, cinnamon-colored back and an incredible repertoire of song phrases. When we read about him, we learned that he’s a shy bird who usually stays hidden in the bushes, but he can be seen singing over his territory in the spring. Both days we were there, he was perched in the same tree, singing his heart out.

Brown thrashers eat insects, seeds, fruit, and small amphibians which they forage for on or near the ground. They are related to mockingbirds and catbirds and are said to have the largest song repertoire of any North American bird. After listening for awhile, I believe it! Our Smithsonian Handbook makes me smile in its description of the way the male “sings conversation-like phrases of hello, hello, yes, yes, who is this? Who is this? I should say, I should say, with the varied phrases being given in two’s and three’s.” Over 1,100 song types have been recorded for this one bird!

As we watched, two catbirds landed in the same tree and seemed to listen curiously. Then a male Baltimore oriole did the same thing. The thrasher was unperturbed, but he never gave anyone else an opening in the conversation — just kept up his unbroken stream of cheerful volubility.

The second day, I took some video. There are other noises — yellow warblers, red-winged blackbirds, engine noises. When the chime on my phone sounds, it almost sounds like a noise the thrasher could make if he wanted to!

We really enjoyed making the acquaintance of this bird. I hope the season will see the successful rearing of a brood of chatterboxes just like him!

The brown thrasher is discussed (briefly) in chapter 30 of the Burgess Bird Book. It’s online here. I agree with Peter Rabbit:

“Did I hear him sing!” cried Peter, his eyes shining at the memory. “He sang especially for me. He flew up to the top of a tree, tipped his head back and sang as few birds I know of can sing. He has a wonderful voice, has Brownie. I don’t know of anybody I enjoy listening to more. And when he’s singing he acts as if he enjoyed it himself and knows what a good singer he is…”