Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

 

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Brown Thrasher [ventro-lateral view of juvenile]. Photograph Credit: Stephen J. Stedman; Lakeland Dr., Putnam County, Tennessee; 19 May 2018.

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Abundance: Fairly Common during spring, summer, and fall; Uncommon to Very Uncommon during winter; recorded in all Regional counties (Map of UCR Distribution); the Regional breeding population trend is probably stable (see also Regional Bird-Monitoring Plan).

Status: Permanent Resident; specimen (14 June 1938; Monticello, Wayne County, Kentucky; W. M. Perrygo; Wetmore 1940); photograph [lateral view of adult] (Stephen J. Stedman; Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tennessee; 21 April 2002).

Regional High Count and SBC/SBB High Count: 111 (10 May 2008; Putnam County, Tennessee [SBC]; m. ob.); FBC/FBB High Count: 60 (20 September 2008; Putnam County, Tennessee [FBC]; m. ob.); CBC/CBB High Count: 20 (29 December 1972; Putnam County, Tennessee [Cookeville CBC]; m. obl).

Breeding: Confirmed (Recent).

Habitat: x

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: Registered on 59 (of 125) monthly check-lists during 2003 and on 111 (of 206) check-lists during 2004, resulting in a YardWatch frequency classification of Fairly Common during each year; this YardWatch frequency classification is consistent with the overall Regional abundance classification during spring, summer, and fall, but not during winter.

Foray Results: A summary of data from UCR Forays follows (to view a map displaying foray data for a county or a sub-Region for this species, click on the name of an underlined county or state below):

County Dates when Foray Conducted Total Blocks
in County *
Total Blocks in which
Brown Thrasher
Recorded
Total Individuals
Recorded
         
Adair 816 June 2014 46 29 53
Barren 1–6 June 2013 54 53 196
Clinton 12–14 June 2009 24 19 69
Cumberland 1620 June 2014 35 20 43
McCreary 30 May5 Jun 2011 51 33 74
Metcalfe 812 June 2013 32 26 68
Monroe 1–12 June 2015 35 29 82
Pulaski 511 June 2010 72 67 198
Russell 1316, 2629 June 2012 31 22 41
Wayne 28 May3 June 2012 54 38 106
         
Kentucky   434 (408) 336 (77.4%) 930
         
Bledsoe 1824 June 2012 48 33 75
Clay 12–15 June 2010 30 27 62
Cumberland 29 May4 June 2010 75 67 237
DeKalb 2326 May 2008 40 30 88
Fentress 1117 June 2012 55 35 73
Jackson 29 May1 Jun 2009 40 35 108
Macon 1722 June 2013 32 23 42
Morgan 1–8 June 2014 58 36 84
Overton 2329 May 2011 47 42 147
Pickett 2225 May 2009 24 19 45
Putnam 6–12 June 2011 46 42 147
Scott 924 June 2016 62 33 50
Smith 1525 June 2015 37 27 53
Van Buren 13–15 June 2011 33 21 75
Warren 1–10 June 2016 47 39 185
White 1–6 June 2015 50 37 117
         
Tennessee   724 (651) 546 (75.4%) 1588
         
Region   1158 (c. 1059) 882 (76.2%) 2518

* Because some foray blocks fall into two or three counties, the total of blocks in the Kentucky or Tennessee portions of the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the counties of each portion of the Region; similarly, because some blocks fall into both states, the total of blocks for the Region is less than the sum of the blocks in the two states.

RemarksThe thrasher is one of several species whose population during winter is considerably less dense than its population during the other seasons of the year.  Like the winter abundance of the Eastern Phoebe, the winter abundance of the thrasher varies somewhat from winter to winter, mostly being Uncommon but sometimes being Very Uncommon; the thrasher's winter abundance is perhaps correlated with the quantity and abundance of the soft mast crop available in the Region during winter.

    Most of the breeding population of thrashers spends the winter to the south of the Region, returning in early to mid-March, at which time males begin to sing in preparation for the nesting season.

Check-lists of Birds for the Counties of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of each county of the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed by clicking on the links below. For each county, there are two check-lists: one list that shows the species that have been observed and where possible documented in the county within the larger list for the entire Region; and one list that includes only the species observed in the county with annotations for the date and observers for at least one sighting (the ultimate goal of the latter list will be to include annotations for the very first known Regional observation of each species in that county; this goal is probably one that will take many years to complete, if completion is even a possibility). To see if the species discussed in this species account has been observed in a county, click below or click on the link for the Map of UCR Distribution near the top of the page.

Barren Metcalfe Adair Russell Pulaski
Monroe Cumberland Clinton Wayne McCreary
Macon Clay Pickett Fentress Scott
Smith Jackson Overton Putnam Morgan
DeKalb White Cumberland
Warren Van Buren Bledsoe

Check-lists of Birds for Some Public Access Birding Sites of the UCR

Check-lists of the birds of some public access birding sites within the Upper Cumberland Region may be viewed via the links below. To see if the species dealt with in this species account has been observed within any of these sites, click on the appropriate link below. See the pages for each county within the Gazetteer for links to additional smaller public access birding sites with check-lists in progress.

Burgess Falls SP, Putnam/White Counties, TN Barren River Lake SP, Barren County, KY
Cumberland Mountain SP, Cumberland County, TN General Burnside Island SP, Pulaski County, KY
Edgar Evins SP, DeKalb County, TN  
Fall Creek Falls SP, Bledsoe/Van Buren Counties, TN Pulaski County Park, Pulaski County, KY
Frozen Head SNA, Morgan County, TN Waitsboro Recreation Area, Pulaski County, KY
Rock Island SP, Warren/White Counties, TN  
Standing Stone SP, Overton County, TN Big South Fork NRRA, KY and TN
   
Cane Creek Park, Putnam County, TN  
Roaring River Recreation Area, Jackson County, TN  

Literature Cited