Thrasher gives soft rendition of songs

Last week, a midmorning birding walk produced a special treat. The weekend had been cool and rainy, so when Monday dawned bright and warm – a perfect spring day – I decided to take advantage of it, as I was working the second shift that day.

As I approached a tangle of shrubs and small trees, I glimpsed an American goldfinch atop the tree, singing for all it was worth. It sounded as if it had a partner, but as the bird flew away I realized there were no other finches in the tree.

However, the song continued from deeper within the tree, only now it had a different quality. I heard snatches of the goldfinch’s song interspersed with the songs of other birds.

Mockingbird, I presumed, and just barely glanced at the bird as I passed the tree. In my neighborhood, northern mockingbirds are numerous and I’ve started taking them for granted.

Luckily, I did give the bird a look; brown spots on its chest told me immediately it wasn’t a mockingbird I was looking at. Instead, it was a related species: a brown thrasher.

This bird, as well as the mockingbird, and, to a lesser extent, the gray catbird, belongs to a family of birds known as “mimic thrushes.” Included in their repertoires is an impressive array of imitated songs from other birds. They’ve even been known to imitate the ringing of cell phones, the blare of car alarms, even the barking of dogs.

The bird, unconcerned about my presence, continued to sing a soft rendition of his songs. Every now and again I picked up the goldfinch’s again, and I thought I heard a blue jay and a robin in there as well.

Thrashers tend to nest in low trees, shrubs, or even on the ground; they also forage on the ground in dense thickets, sifting through thick leave litter with their strong feet and legs. Because of these habits, they are most often heard but not seen, and a reliable clue to their identification is their pattern of song.

Thrashers tend to repeat their songs in pairs, with slight pauses between each set. The Petersons’ Guide to Birding by Ear describes the song pattern as sounding as if the bird were saying something like, “pick-it-up, pick-it-up, drop-it, drop-it, cover-it-up, cover-it-up.”

In contrast, mockingbirds repeat their songs in threes; gray catbirds sing only a single phrase before going on to the next in their repertoire.

I previously thought mockingbirds to be the kings (and queens, for females sing as well) of song in this group, but it turns out that’s not the case. The “Birds of North America” species account includes this quote about the thrasher:

“Much of the reclame [sic] which has fallen to the mockingbird is really due to the unperceived efforts of the brown thrasher. It is the opinion of many ornithologists that the song is richer, fuller, and definitely more melodious.”

The BNA account adds that thrashers have more than 1,000 documented song types in their repertoires.

It had been a while since I had seen or heard a thrasher, so this was a special treat. According to the BNA, thrashers are not listed as threatened or endangered, but they do face adverse conditions that may affect their numbers locally. Habitat degradation is one factor, pesticide use is another. Migrating thrashers are frequently found dead underneath television towers; and in certain areas of the country, they are one of the most common birds to be killed by vehicle collisions.

In the northern part of their range, thrashers also face competition with mockingbirds – part of the reason why I was so surprised to see one in the thick of mockingbird territory.

As I stood there observing the thrasher with my binoculars, a woman walking by asked if I was seeing anything good. I pointed the bird out to her, told her what it was, and offered her a look through the glasses.

“What beautiful russet feathers on his back,” she commented. I agreed and we stood for a minute, enjoying watching and listening to the accomplished songster.

As the woman went on her way, I wondered if the bird would be successful in attracting a mate and raising young, or even if it would stay around. I intend to find out.

bdnsports@bangordailynews.net