California Thrasher

Fun Facts:

*This bird can mimic sounds, including other birds.

*Protecting them is important because they only live in parts of California, such as Baja California.

*Kingsnakes will try to eat thrasher chicks, so both of their parents will defend their young by attacking the kingsnakes.

 This bird is easy to find by ear once you know what it sounds like. During mating season, the male perches on a bush and sings a long series of notes and phrases. Like the mockingbird, it is a mimic, said to imitate other birds, but its song is not as complex. You may also see it hop along the ground with its tail erect. It whisks its long, downcurved bill through the litter and picks into the ground to find beetles, ants, and seeds. California thrashers live only in parts of  California and Baja, so protecting their habitat in Rose Canyon and elsewhere is important. Both parents build the nest, feed the chicks, and defend their young. Thrashers attack kingsnakes (which also live in Rose Canyon), because kingsnakes will try to eat their chicks.