Thrasher is the name of a group of brownish, long-tailed birds found from southern Canada through South America. There are more than a dozen species (kinds) of thrashers. The best-known species is the brown thrasher of eastern North America (see Brown thrasher). Most thrashers have a brown head and back, and a pale underside with brown streaks. The largest thrashers grow more than 1 foot (30 centimeters) long.
Thrashers spend most of their time on the ground searching for food. They eat insects and worms, as well as fruit and seeds. These birds have a song that is loud and repetitive. They build cup-shaped nests, usually in low bushes and shrubs. Thrashers lay from two to six eggs.
Several species of thrashers range from western North America to Central America. Most of these thrashers have a long, curved bill. Species that inhabit arid regions of the Southwest also have longer legs and shorter wings than other thrashers. These species do more running than flying. They nest in thorny shrubs or cactuses.
Some species of thrashers live only in the Caribbean. The white-breasted thrasher, the brown trembler, and the grey trembler are rare ground-dwellers. The tremblers were named for their nervous behavior. The other Caribbean species, the pearly-eyed thrasher and the scaly-breasted thrasher, dwell in trees. The pearly-eyed thrasher is the most common Caribbean species. It nests in holes in trees.
