Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Brown Thrasher - Carter Lake, GA This Brown Thrasher was catching some sun and was one of the first stops in our road trip around the central states. Carter Lake, Georgia was the first stop in our 9 state trip. Brown Thrashers are mimics just like their cousins, Northern Mockingbirds, sounding very similar to their gray cousin. As you head west, there are several other flavors of Thrashers, most with much longer bills. Michael W Klotz 2022 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Brown Thrasher - Carter Lake, GA
Sage Thrasher - Santa Rosa Lake, NM On the way to Santa Rosa Lake, we stopped at a puddle to ID some shorebirds.. Just to the right of that, was a large Juniper with a couple birds darting around in the middle of the tree. after 5 minutes or so, one of the two Sage Thrashers came out to have a look around and give us a nice pose. Sage thrashers are the smallest of the thrasher family and have the shortest bill. They are the bird that can be found the furthest north on a regular occasion making it as far north as central British Columbia in the sage valleys. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Sage Thrasher - Santa Rosa Lake, NM
Sage Thrasher - Pitt Meadows, BC Sage Thrashers are a very rare migrant as they head through to the sage country. It just so happened that this was the second sighting this month and more over, this one one of two birds that stopped for a quick visit. They were only here for 3 or so days. Thrashers are related to mockingbirds with the Sage Thrashers typically the most northern migrators of the lot west of the Rockies, but stick to the driest areas of scrub. They also have the shortest bill of any thrashers in North America and Caribbean. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Sage Thrasher - Pitt Meadows, BC
Gray Catbird - Sicamous, BC Along the Eagle River in Sicamous there is a very nice spit with some mature deciduous trees where this very inquisitive Catbird was spending the morning. The name catbird comes from the soft mews that the bird is known well for and sounds very similar to a cat. Being part of the mimid family, it also can copy a great deal of other birds so well that you would swear there were sometimes 5 species sitting in the same tree. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Gray Catbird - Sicamous, BC
California Thrasher - Dana Point, CA The Hilltop Conservation park at Dana Point is an important island set aside in the growing beach communities of Southern California. This small park that overlooks the harbor is home to several at risk or endangered species including the California Thrasher and California Gnatcatcher. On the walk down to the look out points, there were 4 or 5 Thrashers sitting conspicuously on the top of the Sumac. This vocal bird was doing a fantastic job of mimicking several other birds. I love the songs they mimic that are of birds off in the distance, shows off the ability of these amazing xerophilic (dry-loving) birds. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
California Thrasher - Dana Point, CA
Northern Mockingbird - Orange, CA
Northern Mockingbird - Orange, CA
Picture
Long-billed Thrasher - Salineno, TX