Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 11.8 in
30 cm - Wingspan
- 12.6 in
32 cm - Weight
- 1.9–2.5 oz
53–70 g
Other Names
- Moqueur cul roux (French)
- Cuitlacoche crisal, Cuitlacoche crisum rojizo (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Crissal Thrasher is the only thrasher that lays unspotted eggs.
- The nest of the Crissal Thrasher is usually built close up under a large branch, making access rather difficult. The location seems to afford protection from both aerial predators and from the direct rays of the sun.
- The Crissal Thrasher walks and runs around its territory more than it flies. Even when disturbed by a person or a predator the thrasher is most likely to run away to cover.
Habitat
Scrub
Found in dense, low scrubby vegetation, such as desert and foothill scrub and riparian brush.
Food
Insects
Insects and spiders, some seeds and berries.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–4 eggs
- Egg Description
- Pale blue and unmarked.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with sparse down.
Nest Description
An open cup of twigs, lined with finer vegetation, placed in middle of dense shrub.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Ground Forager
Digs, picks, and probes with bill in leaf litter.
Conservation
Least Concern
No distribution-wide population trends. Loss of habitat to clearing for agriculture or urban and suburban development threatens some populations. Listed as Species of Special Concern by California Department of Fish and Game.
Credits
- Cody, M. L. 1999. Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale). In The Birds of North America, No. 419 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.