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Mockingbirds and Thrashers

12 Bird Species

Bahama Mockingbird

A thrasher-like Caribbean mockingbird, rare to Southern Florida. Adult is similar to Sage Thrasher and Northern Mockingbird, but note clean gray underparts without buffy tones and limited dark streaking on flanks. Upperparts are sandy-brown with two narrow white wing bars, tail is relatively long and more...

Length: 28 cm Wingspan: 37 cm

Bendire's Thrasher

This desert thrasher can be confused with the larger and more common Curve-billed Thrasher. Like most thrashers, Bendire's is long-tailed and short-winged. The upperparts are a uniform buffy gray-brown. The tail is slightly darker with small pale tips on the outer tail feathers. Compared to most othe more...

Length: 23 cm Wingspan: 33 cm

Blue Mockingbird

Nearly unmistakable. This large, long-tailed, thrasher-like bird is almost entirely dark slate-blue, with lighter blue streaks on crown, throat, and breast. A black mask extends from the base of the bill through the eye and onto the auriculars. Eye is red. Gray legs and slender, slightly decurved dar more...

Length: 25 cm Wingspan: 36 cm

Brown Thrasher

This is the only species of thrasher expected east of the Great Plains. Upperparts are bright rufous overall, except for the grayish face. The tail is very long, and the wing coverts create two white wing bars. The bill is heavy and only slightly decurved. Eye color ranges from yellow to yellow-orang more...

Length: 24 cm Wingspan: 32 cm

California Thrasher

Adult has relatively long, decurved bill, dark eye, dark eyeline and malar, sandy-brown upperparts, long tail, and clean, buffy-tinged underparts with orangish undertail coverts. In flight, note small buffy tail corners. Crissal Thrasher has yellow eye and lacks orange tones underneath. Le Conte's Th more...

Length: 31 cm Wingspan: 32 cm

Crissal Thrasher

Adult has relatively long, decurved bill, yellow eye, gray face with black-and-white malar streak, sandy-brown wings and body, long tail, and reddish undertail coverts. In flight, note small buffy tail corners. California Thrasher has dark eye and orange tones underneath. Le Conte's Thrasher is very more...

Length: 29 cm Wingspan: 32 cm

Curve-billed Thrasher

This larger than robin-sized bird is medium earthy gray-brown above and generally paler below with buffy-orangish undertail coverts. It has a long broad tail that is slightly fanned in flight and a long down-curved bill. There are two recognizable populations. Western birds (Arizona and west Mexico) more...

Length: 28 cm Wingspan: 34 cm

Gray Catbird

Plain charcoal-gray to medium gray overall with rusty undertail coverts, relatively long dark tail, black cap, and slender black bill. Sexes are similar. If seen well, this bird is unlikely to be mistaken for another species. more...

Length: 21 cm Wingspan: 28 cm

Le Conte's Thrasher

This thrasher is a desert specialist, occupying dry barren habitats. Very pale gray overall, buffy undertail coverts, long tail that is pale gray at the base and gradually becomes darker towards the dark charcoal gray tip. Corners of the tail are pale gray. Facial markings include a whitish thoat, da more...

Length: 24 cm Wingspan: 30 cm

Long-billed Thrasher

Resident of South Texas. Adult is like Brown Thrasher but lacks rufous tones, has dark brown back and wings, long brown tail, two narrow white wingbars, heavy black streaks on underparts, gray face, brown crown, yellow eye, and relatively long, slightly downcurved black bill. more...

Length: 29 cm Wingspan: 31 cm

Northern Mockingbird

Familiar and conspicuous throughout Southern and Eastern North America. Adult is gray overall with whitish underparts, gray upperparts, blackish wings and tail, two narrow white wing bars, relatively long tail, white undertail coverts, thin black eye line, and slender black bill. Adult eye color rang more...

Length: 25 cm Wingspan: 36 cm

Sage Thrasher

Adult has buffy-white underparts with crisp dusky-brown streaks, sandy-gray upperparts with two narrow white wing bars, long dark tail with white corners, yellow eye, gray face, diffuse pale supercilium, white throat, and relatively short, slender black bill. Immatures are a darker earthy brown above more...

Length: 22 cm Wingspan: 30 cm