Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Takes A Dust Bath

June 24th. As I was walking down the final section of the trail from the Dam back to the Section B parking lot at Fort Yargo State Park, I saw a bird that looked – at first – in distress. But then I realized it was just a…

Brown Thrasher enjoying a dust bath although the expression on its face seems one more of terror than enjoyment.

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is Georgia’s State Bird. I see them at our place frequently. Usually they are in the field hunting insects when I startle them. They fly back low to the ground back to perch on a low fence wire among the bushes. They are hard to photograph.

I photographed this bird along the Berry Trail in Fort Yargo State Park early one morning just after sunrise. It was unusual to see one perched high in a tree. It was nervous and I was lucky to get this shot.
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Identification resources:
- The Cornell Institute of Ornithology - All About Birds: Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)
- Georgia Museum of Natural History: Southeastern Birds
- Georgia State Symbols