Toxostoma rufum                                                     Photo Bill Chitty ©

Brown thrashers have a rich reddish brown back, a heavily streaked breast and belly, long tail and a long, slightly down-curved bill.

Usually seen feeding on the ground, they pick through fallen leaves in search of food, which is mainly insects, lizards, and berries. Brown thrashers are well known for their ability to mimic the songs and calls of other birds. Their phrases are usually repeated twice, in contrast to the mockingbird, which usually repeats its phrases three times.

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