11.5 inches long. The Brown Thrasher is a large boldly patterned thrasher with a slender slightly curved bill that has yellow at the base of its lower mandible. There is a rufous crown, nape, and upperparts. The face is gray with a yellow eye. The long tail is rufous. The underparts are white with heavy black streaks. The wings have white wing bars. The legs are yellow.
The Brown Thrasher is a common breeding bird that arrives in early April and leaves by late October.
The Brown Thrasher is most often found in dense vegetation. It uses its long heavy legs for sweeping the litter and soil layer for insects, fallen seeds, and berries. It commonly nests low in a tree or shrub, occasionally on the ground. It is one of the most common hosts of Brown-headed Cowbirds although they often reject the eggs. The song is a series of rich musical phrases with each phrase usually repeated two times “hello, hello, yes, yes, who is this, who is this, I should say, I should say”.
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