705. Toxostoma rufum 
BROWN THRASHER. 11 inches 
Male and Female alike. Above cinnamon brown; white wing 
bars. Below white, heavily spotted with dark brown; very long 
tail, which it flirts in an energetic manner. 
Is also called the Brown Thrush. Large birds of the scrub oaks 
and thickets; much on the ground, rustling among the leaves; 
usually in pairs. Common summer resident in Massachusetts. 
Arrives early in May. 
Song. Rich, full and varied; seems to be full of conversation 
and mimicry, easily mistaken for the Catbird’s. 
Nest. Ina shrub a few feet from the ground. 
Breeds. Southern New England. 
105 
