Long-billed Thrasher at Estero Llando Grande

Thrashers are one of my favorite medium size birds.They get their name because the bird thrashes about in the leaf litter to find worms, bugs, and other insects.  There are 12 Thrashers in North America and only the Brown Thrasher in Minnesota. The Rio Grande Valley has both the Long-billed Thrasher and the Curve-billed Thrasher. They are wonderful singers and have a long complicated song. (click and scrolled down the Cornell site to play song) A Long-billed Thrasher greeted me as I got out of my car and walked to the entrance of the State Park, March 10th.  On March 2nd late in the afternoon, the Long-billed Thrasher was foraging in the Tropical area. 

Even on a cool rainy afternoon the Thrasher was singing away.