Long-billed thrasher

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Long-billed thrasher
Toxostoma longirostre -Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, USA-8.jpg
at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Genus: Toxostoma
Species:
T. longirostre
Binomial name
Toxostoma longirostre
(Lafresnaye, 1838)
Toxostoma longirostre species distribution map.svg
Long-billed thrasher range
Synonyms

Orpheus longirostris

The long-billed thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre) is a medium-sized resident songbird of South Texas and eastern Mexico. It bears a strong resemblance to its close relative the brown thrasher in appearance, calls, and various other behaviors; however, the two species do not overlap in range except in the winter when the brown thrasher will temporarily reside in the northern range of the long-billed. [2]

Contents

The bird is a large sized mimid that is not especially wary, but it will take precautionary measures to prevent itself from being potential prey. Like other thrashers, it is named after its sweeping methods when searching for food, not for thrashing predators, although they are aggressive defenders of their territories.

Taxonomy

In Texas, United States Toxostoma longirostre -San Antonio, Texas, USA-8.jpg
In Texas, United States

The specific name longirostre is derived from the Latin words longus long and rostrum bill. [3]

There are two subspecies of the long-billed thrasher. T. longirostre ssp. longirostre was first described in scientific literature by Frédéric de Lafresnaye in 1838 as Orpheus longirostris, [4] [5] while T. longirostre ssp. sennitti was described by Robert Ridgway a half-century later. [6]

South Padre Island - Texas Long-billed Thrasher Tex.jpg
South Padre Island - Texas

T. longirostre ssp. longirostre (Lafresnaye, 1838). Range is in eastern Mexico, within the states of Querétaro, Tamaulipas and Veracruz southward to Puebla. [4]

T. longirostre ssp. sennitti (Ridgway, 1888), known as Sennett's thrasher. Range extends from southern (particularly south central) Texas to the Rio Grande Valley and the Mexican states of Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi. [4] [6]

Along with the brown thrasher and Cozumel thrasher, the three are part of a superspecies rufum clade. [7] Plumage patterns and bill shapes were originally used for grouping, [7] and the birds also were shown as closely related with genetic studies. [8]

Description

This bird is slender and long-tailed, averaging 26.5–29 cm (10.5–11.5 in) in length [9] and about 70 g (2.5 oz) in weight. [10] It is a large sized thrasher that is close in size to the American robin. [2]

T. longirostre ssp. sennitti is described with a grayish-brown crown with a rufous color appearing in the back, rump, rear, and shoulder. Broad white tips located on the greater and lesser primary coverts and dullish-brown with rufous brown edges on the primary and secondary coverts gives the closed wings a rufous appearance. The chin, throat, chest, and belly can appear to be white or a pale-buffy white, although the chest and belly contain keenly blackish oval shapes. The underwing is buffy-white. The iris is typically either orange or orange-yellow, with a dull brown bill with its base of the lower mandible appear to be pinkish grey. [4] T. longirostre ssp. longirostre is similar with an exception to being smaller, darker, and has a red-tinged appearance with buffy-white underparts. [4]

Juveniles have dusty streak marks on its rump, with buffy-white undertail coverts. [4]

Painting of adult of the subspecies senetti from the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. Toxostoma longirostre Boundary Survey Painting.jpg
Painting of adult of the subspecies senetti from the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey .

Similar species

This thrasher shares a striking resemblance with the brown thrasher. However, there are a number of differences. Its face is more gray in contrast to the reddish appearance of the thrasher. The underparts are whiter, less buffy, and more robustly colored, an eye that appears more orange and beady, and generally a longer-bill that is blacker and stands apart from the face. The long-billed's overall appearance has more contrasts in its pattern in comparison to the brown thrasher. [2] [4]

The sage thrasher, which shares some its distribution with the long-billed, is smaller, grayer, and its rectrices are of a more distinguished white color. [4]

Distribution and habitat

This species is a resident in southern Texas north to San Antonio and Aranas, south through north-western Mexico to central Veracruz, east to eastern Coahuila, San Luis Potosi and Hildalgo. [4] The breeding density is at the highest among the Rio Grande Valley. [11] Although it is a resident in the lower Rio Grande Valley, a significant amount of its habitat was destroyed for agricultural purposes, and its population in the area decreased from the 1930s to the 1970s. [4] Some human activity that has introduced appropriate habitat is thought to have been some help the species, and it is still is a common resident within its range. [4] In Texas there is some evidence of a northern and eastern expansion of the range over a five decade span (1957-2007), with climate change as the suggested cause. [12] With the exception of vagrants found in New Mexico and Colorado, the species is a permanent resident of its range. [2]

Behavior

Long-billed thrashers usually stay hidden on or near the ground, though it may sing from conspicuous perches. [9] Whenever it searches for insects on the ground, it will energetically turn over ("thrashing") leaves and other litter. [10] It also can be spotted singing on exposed perches above its thornbush fortresses. [2] Males generally are spotted singing from March until the mid-summer, excluding instances of singing song snatches periodically to balance the year. [2] It is generally not wary, possibly because is not easily approached. [2] [4] The flights of the long-billed are generally close to the ground, short, erratic with exaggerated fluctuations. [4] Long-billed thrashers are staunch defenders of their territories; it will defend its nest ferociously, including against humans. [4]

The longest recorded lifespan of the species was one individual recovered on 30 September 1965, at age 7 years and 3 months, after being banded (on 24 Aug 1959) in Alamo, TX. [13]

Voice

The song is warbling and resembles other thrashers' songs but is especially rich and musical, though occasionally scratchy. Phrases are often repeated two to four times. [9] [10] A distinctive call is a "loud, rich whistle cleeooeep" [9] or "mellow, whistled tweeooip or ooeh"; [10] other calls include "a loud sharp chak" and "a very rapid, sharp rattle chtttr", and tsuck and verrs sounds during territorial disputes that resemble calls of its close relative the brown thrasher. [4] [10]

Breeding

The general nesting habitat of long-billed thrashers is amongst dense vegetation with spiny shrubs and trees in order to make the nest inaccessible to potential predators. [14] Nests have also been found in plants such as willows, mesquite, huisache, cacti, or yucca. [11]

The nest is a bulky cup placed in thick low or mid-height vegetation and made of materials such as twigs, straws, and grasses. The female lays 2 to 5 eggs described as bluish-white with dense reddish-brown and gray speckles; [9] the appearance is indistinguishable from the brown thrasher. [11] Most of the egg laying for the long-billed in Texas occurs in April and May, and May and June in Mexico, though dates have been as late as June and July, respectively. [4] The eggs hatch over a period of 24 days. [11] Unlike most thrashers, however, the hatching process is synchronous. [14] Both parents are responsible for incubation, which lasts 13 or 14 days as well as feeding the fledglings. [4] They are rarely victims of brood parasitism by the brown-headed cowbird or bronzed cowbird. [4]

Feeding

In order to locate food, it forages on the ground by rapidly sweeping its bill from side to side tossing leaf-litter upwards and behind itself, then goes to scratching the ground for food. Their diet consists of invertebrates such as grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects, crustaceans, gastropods, and an adequate amount of vegetable matter, especially berries. [4]

Related Research Articles

Thrasher New World group of passerine birds

Thrashers are a New World group of passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the family Mimidae. There are 15 species in one large and 4 monotypic genera.

Song sparrow Species of bird

The song sparrow is a medium-sized New World sparrow. Among the native sparrows in North America, it is easily one of the most abundant, variable and adaptable species.

Carolina wren Species of bird

The Carolina wren is a common species of wren that is a resident in the eastern half of the United States of America, the extreme south of Ontario, Canada, and the extreme northeast of Mexico. Severe winters restrict the northern limits of their range while favorable weather conditions lead to a northward extension of their breeding range. Their preferred habitat is in dense cover in forest, farm edges and suburban areas. This wren is the state bird of South Carolina.

Cozumel thrasher Species of bird

The Cozumel thrasher is a bird from the mockingbird family (Mimidae), which is endemic to the island of Cozumel off the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. It is believed to be the most critically endangered species of bird in Mexico - if it indeed still exists, which is probable but not certain.

Black-faced antthrush Species of bird found in Central America and northern South America

The black-faced antthrush, is a species of passerine bird in the family Formicariidae.

Bendires thrasher Species of bird

Bendire's thrasher is a medium-sized species of thrasher native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is 23–28 centimetres (9.1–11.0 in) long, with a long tail and a medium-sized bill. Coloration is grayish-brown on its upperparts with paler, faintly dark streaked underparts. The base of the lower bill is often pale, the eyes are bright yellow, and the tips of the tail are white-tipped.

Curve-billed thrasher Species of desert adapted bird

The curve-billed thrasher is a medium-sized mimid native to most of Mexico and to the deserts of southwestern United States. It is a non-migratory species, and throughout most of its range it is the most common desert thrasher. Several subspecies have been classified since 1827, though there is no consensus on the number. Allopatric speciation is believed to have played a major role in the variations of the curve-billed. It is grey-brown overall with a slightly curved bill, and is similar in appearance to the related Bendire's thrasher. It generally resides in desert regions of the United States and Mexico, but can inhabit areas predominately populated by humans.

Rufous-crowned sparrow Small passerine bird from the Southwestern United States and Mexico

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LeContes thrasher Species of bird

LeConte's thrasher is a pale bird found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It prefers to live in deserts with very little vegetation, where it blends in with the sandy soils. LeConte's thrashers are nonmigratory birds that reside in the same territory annually. Although the species has been decreasing in certain areas of its range, in particular California, it still is abundant enough to not be considered for vulnerable status.

Crissal thrasher Species of bird

The crissal thrasher is a large thrasher found in the Southwestern United States to central Mexico.

California thrasher Species of passerine bird found in chaparral habitats

The California thrasher is a large member of family mimidae found primarily in chaparral habitat in California and Baja California. It is the only species of Toxostoma throughout most of its range.

Gray thrasher Species of bird

The gray thrasher is a medium-sized passerine bird belonging to the family Mimidae. It is endemic to the Baja California peninsula of Mexico.

Worthens sparrow Species of bird

Worthen's sparrow is a species of American sparrow that is endemic to northeastern Mexico. It was first described by Robert Ridgway in 1884 and named for the American naturalist Charles K. Worthen. This small bird has been listed as endangered by the IUCN since 1994.

Black catbird Songbird species in the monotypic genus Melanoptila

The black catbird is a songbird species in the monotypic genus Melanoptila, part of the family Mimidae. At 19–20.5 cm (7.5–8.1 in) in length and 31.6–42 g (1.11–1.48 oz) in mass, it is the smallest of the mimids. Sexes appear similar, with glossy black plumage, black legs and bill, and dark brownish eyes. The species is endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula, and is found as far south as Campeche, northern Guatemala and northern Belize. Although there are historical records from Honduras and the US state of Texas, the species is not now known to occur in either location. It is found at low elevations in semi-arid to humid habitats ranging from shrubland and abandoned farmland to woodland with thick understory, and is primarily sedentary.

Archbolds newtonia Species of bird

Archbold's newtonia is a species of bird in the family Vangidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. The birds have a greyish brown back and tail, with a rufous forecrown and a buffy white belly, throat, and undertail coverts. They have a conspicuous rufous eye-ring, accompanied with a black bill and pale yellow eyes. The species is sexually monomorphic, and there is no major difference between the sexes. There is no breeding plumage for the males.

Ocellated thrasher Species of bird

The ocellated thrasher is a species of bird in the family Mimidae. It is endemic to Mexico.

Rufous-backed thrush Species of bird

The rufous-backed thrush is a songbird of the thrush family. It is endemic to the Pacific slope of Mexico. It is also known as the rufous-backed robin.

Brown thrasher Species of bird

The brown thrasher is a bird in the family Mimidae, which also includes the New World catbirds and mockingbirds. The brown thrasher is abundant throughout the eastern and central United States and southern and central Canada, and it is the only thrasher to live primarily east of the Rockies and central Texas. It is the state bird of Georgia.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Toxostoma longirostre". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22711102A94277731. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22711102A94277731.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dunne, Pete (2006). Pete Dunne's Essential Field Guide Companion: A Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 510–11. ISBN   978-0-300-09059-8.
  3. ↑ Simpson, D.P. (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5th ed.). London, United Kingdom: Cassell Ltd. pp. 350, 525. ISBN   0-304-52257-0.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Brewer, David (2001). Wrens, Dippers, and Thrashers. Yale University Press. pp. 231–32. ISBN   978-0-300-09059-8.
  5. ↑ Guérin-Méneville, Félix-Édouard (1839). "O. longirostris". Magasin de zoologie, d'anatomie comparée et de palaéontologie (in French). 1: 55.
  6. 1 2 "Long-billed Thrasher (Sennett's) (Toxostoma longirostre sennetti) (Ridgway, 1888)". Avibase. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  7. 1 2 Zink, Robert M.; Dittmann, Donna L. (1999). "Evolutionary Patterns of Morphometrics, Allozymes, and Mitochondrial DNA in Thrashers (Genus Toxostoma)" (PDF). The Auk. 116 (4): 1021–38. doi:10.2307/4089682. JSTOR   4089682.
  8. ↑ Lovette, I. J.; Arbogast, B. S.; Curry, R. L.; Zink, R. M.; Botero, C. A.; Sullivan, J. P.; Talaba, A. L.; Harris, R. B.; Rubenstein, D. R.; Ricklefs, R. E.; Bermingham, E. (2012). "Phylogenetic relationships of the mockingbirds and thrashers (Aves: Mimidae)" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (2): 219–229. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.07.009. PMID   21867766. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Howell, Steve N. G.; Webb, Sophie (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press. pp.  600. ISBN   0-19-854012-4.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Sibley, David Allen (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds . Alfred Knopf. p.  412. ISBN   0-679-45122-6.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Toxostoma longirostre". Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension. Texas A&M University. 2006. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Apparent Rapid Range Change in South Texas Birds:Response to Climate Change?" (PDF). Texas Climate. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Klimkiewicz, M. Kathleen; Clapp, Roger B.; Futcher, Anthony B. (1983). "Longevity Records of North American Birds: Remizidae through Parulinae". Journal of Field Ornithology. 54 (3): 1021–38. JSTOR   4512835.
  14. 1 2 Rylander, Kent (2002). The Behavior of Texas Birds. University of Texas Press. p. 293. ISBN   978-0-292-77120-8.
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