Guest Author - Lisa Shea

The brown thrasher is the state bird of Georgia. This bird is also known as the brown thrush, even though it is not a thrush. It's a member of the mockingbird family. It is brown with white stripes on its wings, and a white belly with brown stripes.

This bird can be found in much of the eastern US, with large numbers living in Georgia, Louisiana, the Carolinas and Florida. Known as Toxostoma rufum, it's about 12" long and has a slightly down-curved bill.

Brown thrashers live in the edges of woods and scrub piles, eating insects amongst the leaves. They are very shy.

State Bird Listing