Curve-billed Thrashers
Thrashers
The Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre) is a perching bird of the thrasher group native to the southwestern United States and much of Mexico.
Description
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.
The eye of a mature adult is usually a vivid orange to red-orange in coloration, although immature birds have a yellow eye.
Similar Species Id:
- Because of its similar coloration to Bendire's Thrasher, the two birds are very easily mistaken for one another.
- The Bendire's Thrasher's shorter and straighter bill, and its yellow eyes, are distinguishing features when comparing two mature birds. However, it is still easy to misidentify a 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 in color. Aside from the Bendire's Thrasher, the 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.
Distribution / Range
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.
The Curve-billed Thrasher most often roosts in a tall tree or spiny vegetation, favourably a cactus.
Nesting / Breeding
The nest itself is a loosely woven cup made of thorny twigs. The female will lay 2 to 4 eggs, which are bluish-green and speckled with brown. The eggs are incubated by both sexes, and hatch after about thirteen days. The young will leave the nest after 14 to 18 days after hatching.
Diet / Feeding
The Curve-billed Thrasher feeds on ground-dwelling insects, as well as seeds, and berries and also often pushes out Cactus Wrens in the same area.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Toxostoma curvirostre. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Toxostoma curvirostre (TSN 178637). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 9 February 2006.
External links
- Curve-billed Thrasher Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Curve-billed Thrasher - Toxostoma curvirostre - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Curve-billed Thrasher Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Curve-billed Thrasher photo gallery VIREO
Further reading
Books
- Tweit, R. C. 1996. Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre). In The Birds of North America, No. 235 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.
Thesis
- Carter MD. Ph.D. (1984). THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND PARASITIC BEHAVIOR OF THE BRONZED COWBIRD IN SOUTH TEXAS. University of Minnesota, United States -- Minnesota.
- Smith EL. Ph.D. (1971). THE EFFECTS OF HEAT AND ARIDITY ON REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF THE CURVE-BILLED THRASHER. The University of Arizona, United States -- Arizona.
Articles
- Carter MD. (1986). The Parasitic Behavior of the Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus-Aeneus in South Texas USA. Condor. vol 88, no 1. p. 11-25.
- Contrerasbalderas AJ & Garciasalas JA. (1991). PICO ANORMAL EN TOXOSTOMA-CURVIROSTRE. Southwestern Naturalist. vol 36, no 1. p. 137-140.
- Contreras-Balderas AJ & Garcia-Salas JA. (1991). An Abnormal Bill in Toxostoma-Curvirostre. Southwestern Naturalist. vol 36, no 1. p. 137-140.
- Darling JL. (1970). New Breeding Records of Toxostoma-Curvirostre and Toxostoma-Bendirei in New-Mexico. Condor. vol 72, no 3. p. 366-367.
- De Haven RW. (1969). Curve-Billed Thrasher Toxostoma-Curvirostre in Colorado. Colorado Field Ornithologist. vol 6, no 27.
- Fischer DH. (1980). Breeding Biology of Curve-Billed Thrashers Toxostoma-Curvirostre and Long-Billed Thrashers Toxostoma-Longirostre in Southern Texas USA. Condor. vol 82, no 4. p. 392-397.
- Fischer DH. (1983). Growth Development and Food Habits of Nestling Mimids in South Texas USA. Wilson Bulletin. vol 95, no 1. p. 97-105.
- Horwich RH. (1969). Behavioral Ontogeny of the Mockingbird Mimus-Polyglottos Toxostoma-Curvirostre. Wilson Bulletin. vol 81, no 1. p. 87-93.
- Johnson JW. (1971). Curve-Billed Thrasher near Gann Valley. South Dakota Bird Notes. vol 23, no 3. p. 80-81.
- Kaufman K & Bowers R. (1990). Curve-Billed Thrasher and Bendire's Thrasher. American Birds. vol 44, no 3. p. 359-362.
- Koes R. (1999). Curve-billed thrasher winters in St. Claude, Manitoba. Blue Jay. vol 57, no 2. p. 75-77.
- Martinez Del Rio C & Eguiarte LE. (1987). Bird Visitation to Agave-Salmiana Comparisons among Hummingbirds and Perching Birds. Condor. vol 89, no 2. p. 357-363.
- Ports MA. (1981). Miscellaneous Summer Records of Birds from Southwestern Kansas USA. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. vol 84, no 2. p. 109-114.
- Robbins S. (1972). A Curve-Billed Thrasher Visits Buffalo City. Passenger Pigeon. vol 34, no 1. p. 47-49.
- Rojas-Soto OR. (2003). Geographic variation of the Curve-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma curvirostre) complex. Auk. vol 120, no 2. p. 311-322.
- Russell SM & Austin GT. (1971). Time Budgets of Cactus Wren and Curve-Billed Thrasher. Us Ibp. vol 1, no 4.
- Schickley GM. (1969). Curve Billed Thrasher. Nebraska Bird Review. vol 37, no 3. p. 47-48.
- Sutton GM. (1968). Young Curve-Billed Thrasher Attended by Adult Brown Towhee Toxostoma-Curvirostre Pipilo-Fuscus. Auk. vol 85, no 1. p. 127-128.
- Thompson CW & Terkanian BA. (1991). Abnormally Long Bill in a Young Curve-Billed Thrasher. Journal of Field Ornithology. vol 62, no 2. p. 157-161.
- Vleck CM. (1984). Reproductive Season and Water Stress in a Sonoran Desert USA Bird the Curve-Billed Thrasher. American Zoologist. vol 24, no 3. p. 5A.
- Wingfield JC, Vleck CM & Moore MC. (1992). Seasonal changes of the adrenocortical response to stress in birds of the Sonoran Desert. Journal of Experimental Zoology. vol 264, no 4. p. 419-428.
- Zink RM & Blackwell-Rago RC. (2000). Species limits and recent population history in the Curve-billed Thrasher. Condor. vol 102, no 4. p. 881-886.
- Zink RM, Kessen AE, Line TV & Blackwell-Rago RC. (2001). Comparative phylogeography of some aridland bird species. Condor. vol 103, no 1. p. 1-10.
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Relevant Web Resources: Curve-bill Thrasher (Photo of Baby Birds Being Fed and Photos & Info) ... Curve-billed Thrasher - Toxostoma Curvirostre (USGS - Photo, ID tips, Maps & Info)
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