Quite The Songster

March 30, 2025

Yesterday morning I heard beautiful musical phrases each repeated twice, coming from the woods. A Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) singing his heart out. It is the male Brown Thrasher that sings, and he has a vast repertoire of songs. Even more songs than other songsters and family members Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos).

Their bright yellow eyes are intriguing and I’ve learned that when I see a Brown Thrasher with pale gray eyes, it is a juvenile. As they mature their eyes turn the characteristic yellow, or sometimes orange.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “Quite The Songster”

  1. A few days ago, sitting in the park, I was completely captivated by the various birdsongs. It’s nice that you enjoy them so much.

Comments are closed.