May 15, 2016 - Texas - Thrashers

I saw two species of thrashers at the Texas photo workshop I attended in February, 2016. This is a Long-billed Thrasher. In the United States, it is found only in the southern tip of Texas.

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The Long-billed Thrasher is a large songbird, 11½ inches long. It looks very similar to the Brown Thrasher we see in Minnesota during the summer. However, the Long-billed thrasher is grayer and has a longer, more curved bill.

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Male and female Long-billed Thrashers look alike. They prefer dense, brushy areas where they can hide and be inconspicuous. They scratch around in the leaf litter hunting for insects, spiders, and small amphibians. They also eat berries when available.

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We also saw Curve-billed Thrashers. They are more common and widespread than Long-billed Thrashers. In the United States they can be found in the southern parts of New Mexico and Arizona and throughout the western half of Texas.

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At 11 inches long, the Curve-billed Thrasher is similar in size to the Long-billed thrasher.

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If you take enough photos, you eventually get lucky and end up with a shot like this. This thrasher was tossing a piece of food into its mouth and I caught the food in mid-air.

I have more Thrasher photos in my “Texas Photography Workshop” gallery. Here's a link to that gallery. When you get there, click on the Thrasher photo. http://www.earlorfphotos.com/Trips/Texas-Photo-Workshop-Feb-2016/n-4pq9dr

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