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Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei) is a secretive breeder around the middle-elevation grasslands of central Arizona. They like to hang out with their family members, the Mockers. This sample is a small part of the song of one individual near Cornville, Arizona, in the Verde Valley, 6/5/99. He was "marking" his territory by singing at one post, usually high in a mesquite or Berberis bush, occasionally on a power line, then diving down and skimming the ground, quickly flying to the next post, maybe 2-400 meters away and starting again.
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The Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) is a common local thrasher. This is their normal call, which is reminiscent of a Mockingbird with a limited repertoire. They do mimic, though, which you'll hear in the next selection! Thrashers are, in my experience, secretive birds which are seen darting from bush to bush, or feeding on the ground in heavy brushy areas, but they'll often climb high in a Mesquite or Hackberry to call and sing. This individual was at Peck's Lake [Arizona] in the Mesquite scrub.
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I recorded this Crissal Thrasher mimicking on October 23, 1997 near Peck's Lake [Arizona]. He allowed me to come within 20 feet and record for more than 10 minutes solid! In the course of this tour de force performance, he imitates, very accurately, the following birds in order: Killdeer, Red-tailed Hawk, Western/Cassin's Kingbird, Lesser Goldfinch, Mockingbird, Plain Titmouse, Flicker, House Sparrow, American Robin, American Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk), Abert's Towhee and Song Sparrow.
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A "raw" segment of the edited song demonstrates how he goes from sound to sound very quickly and deftly. This example was downsampled severely to keep the file size down, so please excuse the resulting noise.
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In this sample a Crissal Thrasher imitates the sound of a Mourning Dove's flight! He also does an almost-perfect Curve-billed Thrasher's call notes and Western Bluebirds' flight song.
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And here is an example of the song, which is highly variable, and resembles the song of a Crissal Thrasher, but much more structured with less mimicry.
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The deserts around central Arizona are perfect habitat for Curve-billed Thrashers (Toxostoma curvirostre). Here is the typical call 1 recorded 1/31/99, 15 miles North of Scottsdale, Arizona.
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Another typical call recorded 1/31/99, 15 miles North of Scottsdale, Arizona.
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south of Arizona City, Pinal County, Arizona
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south of Arizona City, Pinal County, Arizona
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5 miles north of Riley, Socorro County, New Mexico
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Rodeo, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
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Road to Carbó, Sonora
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Lordsburg, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
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Rio Rancho, Sandoval County, New Mexico
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Stateline Road, near Portal, Arizona
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Stateline Road, near Portal, Arizona
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State Line Road, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
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Rodeo, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
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State Line Road, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
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Nighthawk Road Marsh, San Simon Valley, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
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State Line Road, Hidalgo County, New Mexico
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Arizona (near Wittmann), Maricopa County, Arizona
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Vulture Mine Rd. at Mill Wash, Maricopa County, Arizona