Curve-billed thrasher

The Curve-billed Thrasher is generally 25 to 28 cm in length, slender in build with a long tail, and a long, curved, sickle-shaped bill. It is pale grayish-brown above with lighter-colored underparts that are vaguely streaked. The tips of the tail are streaked with white, and the sides of the tail are a darker color than its back. The eye of an adult is usually a vivid orange or red-orange, although immature birds have a yellow eye.

Picture of the Curve-billed thrasher has been licensed under a GFDL
Original source: Own work
Author: Peter Wallack
Permission: GNU Free Documentation License

The Curve-billed thrasher is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre) is a perching bird of the thrasher group native to the southwestern United States and much of Mexico. The Curve-billed Thrasher is generally 25 to 28 cm (10 to 12 inches) in length, slender in build with a long tail, and a long, curved, sickle-shaped bill. It is pale grayish-brown above with lighter-colored underparts that are vaguely streaked. More

* The Curve-billed Thrasher that lives in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and northwestern Mexico looks different than the form that lives in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and central Mexico, and they may be separate species. The Texas and eastern bird has a lighter breast, more contrasting spots, pale wingbars, and white tail corners. More

young Curve-billed Thrasher as a Bendire's Thrasher as its beak has not grown to its mature length and curvature, and its eyes are still yellow. Aside from Bendire's Thrasher, the Curve-billed Thrasher can be easily distinguished from other thrasher species in its range as it has a streaked breast, unlike the others' plain breasts. More

The Curve-billed Thrasher, which forages on the ground beneath shrubs and cacti, is about a foot in length and generally grayish brown in color. It has robust legs, feet and bill - typical of ground-foraging birds - which it uses to shuffle through plant litter and dig into the soil in its search for seeds and insects. During the breeding season, the male may take a conspicuous perch and issue a loud and melodic call for a mate. The male and female resemble each other closely. More

The Curve-billed Thrasher is generally 25-28 cm (10 to 12 inches) in length, slender in build with a long tail, and a long, curved, sickle-shaped bill. It is pale grayish-brown in color, with lighter colored underparts that are vaguely streaked. The tips of the tail are streaked with white, and the sides of the tail are a darker color than its back. More

The Curve-billed Thrasher is about the size of the American Robin but more slender. It has orange eyes, white throat, grayish-brown body, and thick legs. It also has a long, slender, black bill that is curved. The Curve-billed Thrasher makes an all-purpose double whistle, whit-wheet. No other Toxostoma thrasher with an overlapping range makes this sound. In the eastern portion of the range it usually shows a lighter breast that adds contrast to its spots. More

The Curve-billed Thrasher has a large range, estimated globally at 2,000,000 square kilometers. It is native to the United States and Mexico and prefers shrubland, grassland, and desert ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 2,300,000 individuals and it does not appear to meet population decline criteria that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. The current evaluation status of the Curve-billed Thrasher is Least Concern. More

Bent Life History for the Curve-billed Thrasher - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. PALMER'S THRASHER TOXOSTOMA CURVIROSTRE PALMERI (Coues) HABITS When I did my field work in southern Arizona, in 1922, Palmer's thrasher was regarded as the breeding form of this species all across the southern part of the State. At that time, J. More

Curve-billed Thrasher at Suet feeder Photo by Keith L.Graves March 17, 2001 Caught a picture of this Thrasher at our suet feeder. He is a common visitor at our backyard. He seems to consider himself "the boss" at the feeders and the other birds usually give him a wide berth when he comes to feed. Curve-billed Thrasher front view Photo by Keith L. More

Home Guide to Birds of North America Curve-billed Thrasher Description Description - BREEDING MALE - The Curve-billed Thrasher has a typically thrasher-like shape, with a long tail and a long, decurved bill. It is grayish-brown in color, with indistinct, round spots on the breast, and bright yellow eyes. curve-billed thrasher Visit the Bent Life History page for additional information. Female - Sexes similar. More

Curve-billed Thrasher can be easily distinguished from other thrasher species in its range as they have streaked breasts, unlike the plain breasts of most other thrashers. The Curve-billed Thrasher is found commonly throughout the deserts and brush-filled areas of the south-western United States, from about the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and across New Mexico to west Texas, as well as most of Mexico. More

Curve-billed Thrasher, birding in southern ArizonaThe Curve-Billed Thrasher Birding in Southern Arizona As you walk around our gardens you may notice a large (10-12 inches) plain looking brown bird with a curved bill. This bird may look plain, but take a closer look. The tips of the are streaked with white and the eyes are vivid red-orange in the adults-yellow in the juveniles. More

Curve-billed ThrasherMy eye is drawn to the bill annealed and bent on a mold. It must be dangerous, able to snatch a lizard, definitely not a vegetarian. The orange ring around the black iris is a wee bit unnerving. The Curve-billed Thrasher performs no vocal antics like its cousin, the Eastern Mockingbird, although both are members of the same family (Mimics; in Latin, Mimidae). Armament and intimidation aside, when courting, the male Curve-billed Thrasher follows the female while ‘singing a soft song’. More

Curve-billed Thrasher Dalmatian Pelican Dark Chanting Goshawk Dark-breasted Rosefinch Dark-eyed Junco Dark-mantled Sooty Albatross Dark-throated Thrush Darter Daurian Redstart Diademed Tanager Diamond Dove Dickcissel Doherty's Bushrike Double-banded Plover Double-collared Seedeater Double-crested Cormorant Double-eyed Fig Parrot Double-striped Thick-knee Downy Woodpecker Ducorps' Cockatoo Dunlin Dusky Moorhen Dusky Thrush Eagle Eared Dove Eastern Bluebird Eastern Double-collared Sunbird Eastern Imperial Eagle Eastern Kingbird Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Phoebe Eastern Screech Owl Eastern Spinebill Eastern Towhee Edible-nest Swiftlet Egyptian Goose Egyptian More

Picture of Toxostoma curvirostre above has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license.
Original source: Wayne Dumbleton
Author: Wayne Dumbleton
Permission: Some rights reserved
Order : Passeriformes
Family : Mimidae
Genus : Toxostoma
Species : curvirostre
Authority : (Swainson, 1827)