You’re walking down a trail through the woods and you hear rustling just off the path. Chipmunk? Squirrel? Maybe. It could also be a Brown Thrasher, a ground foraging bird that is migrating into our area right now.
Brown Thrashers are at the forefront of forest bird migration here, that exciting time when birds are heading north for nesting. Lucky for us, this charming bird will stay in our region to breed.
Brown Thrashers are indeed brown. The top of their heads, back, and long tail are a reddish brown that is often referred to as rufous by birders. Their undersides are white, adorned with dark vertical streaks. Their look is completed with two thin white lines on each wing (called wing bars), yellow eyes, and a long, slightly curved bill. Both males and females have the same coloration…