 California
Thrasher, Toxostoma redivivum
Although
the California thrasher is fairly nondescript, it is one of my favorite birds. (His nose does give him away.)
It has the most charming personality, and is captivating to watch.
The California Thrasher has a beautiful song which in the spring
it can be heard throughout the chaparral in California. And of
course no one can forget that beak. It looks like a hay thrasher,
hence the name.
Range
of the California thrasher
The
California Thrasher is found throughout California in the
chaparral plant communities.
 Diet
of the California Thrasher
The
California thrasher has quite an adaptation for feeding. If you
can't spot it, you need glasses. The beak of the thrasher is long
and curved and excellent for digging around in the leaf litter for
food.
The
California thrasher eats insects, spiders and other invertebrates
it finds in the mulch. They also eat berries, fruits, acorns and
seeds. In our garden one of their favorite plants is the golden
current. It is covered with small red berries that turn black
when they have ripened. The branches droop down low to the ground
and the thrasher will pluck them off. They also love Toyon,
Heteromeles
arbutifolia . This is
a tall evergreen shrub with holly like berries.
 The
California Thrasher will also use the bird
dish.
Nesting
habitats used by the California thrasher
The
California thrasher likes to nest in dense shrubbery.
Plant
communities used by the California thrasher
The
California thrasher prefers chaparral but will also use
neighboring riparian or oak woodland habitats.
 Chaparral
Riparian
Central
oak woodland
Northern
Oak woodland
Southern
oak Woodland
 Migration
of the California thrasher
The
California Thrasher does not migrate.
Niche
filled by the California thrasher
The
California Thrasher is quite adept at filtering through the leaf
litter.
How
to attract the California thrasher to your garden
 The
California Thrasher likes leaf litter and berries. It does not
like cats for obvious reasons. This bird spends most of its time
on or near the ground, making it very susceptible to cats. Golden
Current is an excellent choice if you want to attract
thrashers. It forms a small and attractive thicket. It is covered
with yellow flowers in the spring which are utilized by many
insects as well as hummingbirds. Later, in spring, that mass of
flowers turns to a mass of berries. These berries are not only
edible but quite tasty. The California thrasher thinks so to. They
are also fond of Toyon
Berries. Toyon is a large evergreen shrub with bright red berries
around Christmas time. Mahonia
nevinii is also very popular with the California Thrasher.
This is a prickly evergreen shrub with gray foliage, showy yellow
flowers, and reddish-orange berries.
|
