Curve-Billed Thrasher

While sitting out on a bench by my sister-in-law’s bird feeder this morning, Dave and I had a front row seat to watch two Curve-billed Thrashers in a tree, on a fence, and eventually at the feeder. We’d been sitting there enjoying the Phoenix, Arizona sun and talking for thirty minutes or so when a pair of Curve-billed Thrashers showed up. I took some photos when they were in the tree, but the best photos were on the fence and at the bird feeder. (Location: South Mountain Park & Preserve near the Gila River Tribe Reservation.)

Curve-billed Thashers are songbirds primarily found in the Sonoran Desert (Palmeri group), Sonoran-Chihuahuan Desert, Arizona, Texas, and Mexico, especially New Mexico. They generally have yellow or orange eyes. The birds we saw were from the Palmeri group. They have grayer breasts than the breasts of birds from the Chihuahuan Desert. The Palmeri group have paler breasts and their bodies have distinct breast spots. You can see the spots on the photo of the bird on the fence.

Cornell Lab’s AllAboutBirds.org says:

Strong legs and a long, decurved bill give Curve-billed Thrashers the perfect tools for hunting insects in the punishing deserts, canyons, and brushlands that are its home. That long bill also keeps long-legged insect prey at a safe distance and comes in handy for foraging and nesting among spiny plants, especially cacti. This species is so typical of the deserts of the American Southwest and northern Mexico that its whistled whit-wheet call is often the first vocalization that visiting bird watchers learn.
AllAboutBirds.org

Curve-billed Thrashers are known for eating at bird feeders… especially ones that are low to the ground like the one we were sitting by. There are about 3.4 million Curve-billed Thrashers in the world from various subspecies. They have a good population and are not the subject of conservation efforts.

They like to eat the fruit of cacti and tend to live and breed in the same area for their whole lives. They don’t migrate. They are monogamous and can live up to 10 years.

Curve-billed Thrashers generally breed twice a year and lay 2-5 eggs at a time. Their eggs incubate in 12-15 days. The males are called cocks and the females are called hens and their young are called chicks. Curve-billed Thrasher nests are usually set 3-5 feet off the ground. They build their nests in the fork of cholla cactus, throng shrubs, prickly-pear cactus, mistletoe clumps, and yucca.

Animal Symbolism

As a songbird, the Curve-billed Thrasher reminds you to sing your own song… to discover and express your Soul’s Song in a way that is uniquely you. They are hardy birds living in a harsh and prickly environment, yet they continue to communicate through their distinctive song. Curve-billed Thrashers remind us to look for the good and not let our circumstances or environment diminish our song. Find and express your own creativity. Communicate well with others and be the highest and best you!