Crissal thrasher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crissal thrasher |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Toxostoma
|
| Species: |
crissale
|
 |
|
| Crissal thrasher range | |
The crissal thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) is a large thrasher bird. You can find it in the Southwestern United States and central Mexico. It lives in places like western Texas, southern New Mexico, and Arizona.
Contents
About the Crissal Thrasher
This bird can grow to be about 32 cm (12.5 inches) long. It has a special bill that curves deeply downwards. Its eyes are a dull yellow color. A famous bird expert, Roger Tory Peterson, said its singing sounds sweeter than other thrashers.
Crissal thrashers like to live near desert streams in thick bushes. They also like mesquite trees, willows, and scrub oak. You might find them in high places with manzanita plants or in low deserts near canyon chaparral.
This bird usually stays hidden and rarely flies out in the open. It prefers to walk or run around its home. If something scares it, the thrasher will mostly run to find cover. The bird's name comes from a bright patch of feathers. This patch is found between its tail and its bottom, an area called the crissum.
A Confusing History of Its Name
When people first started studying birds in western North America, the crissal thrasher was often mistaken for another bird. This bird was the California thrasher (Toxostoma redivivum). They are very similar!
In 1856, a book by John Cassin described the California thrasher. Later, bird scientists, called ornithologists, realized that some of the birds Cassin described were actually crissal thrashers.
An army surgeon in New Mexico sent some bird samples to Cassin. He thought they were California thrashers. Cassin then sent these samples to Spencer Baird at the Smithsonian Institution. Baird figured out that it was a new species. In 1858, he officially named the crissal thrasher as a new type of bird.
There was a mix-up with the bird's name because of a printing mistake. Baird's first publication accidentally called the new bird Toxostoma dorsalis. This happened because the printer swapped its name with a different bird's name. Baird quickly fixed the error the next month, changing the name to T. crissalis.
For many years, T. crissalis was the accepted name. But in 1920, another ornithologist, Harry Oberholser, said that T. dorsalis should be used instead. He argued that the first printed name, even if it was a mistake, had to be used. So, for a long time, the name T. dorsalis appeared in bird books.
Finally, in 1983, a group called the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature stepped in. They decided to officially bring back Baird's original intended name, T. crissale.
Building a Home (Nest)
The crissal thrasher builds its nests in thick shrubs. They usually place them about 3 to 8 feet off the ground. They often build under a large branch. This helps protect the nest from other birds and the hot sun.
Both the male and female thrasher work together to build the nest. It's shaped like a cup and made from twigs. They line the inside with softer plant materials.
The eggs are blue and don't have any spots. This is special because it's the only thrasher species that lays plain blue eggs! They usually lay 2 to 3 eggs at a time. Both parents take turns sitting on the nest to keep the eggs warm. This is called incubation and lasts for about two weeks.
The baby birds, called chicks, leave the nest when they are 11 to 13 days old. This is called fledging. Young thrashers are paler and duller than the adult birds. Their undertail feathers are browner.
What They Eat
Crissal thrashers are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes insects and spiders. They also eat seeds and fruits.
These birds mostly find their food on the ground. They use their long bills to search for prey. They poke around in the fallen leaves, especially under bushes.
See also
In Spanish: Cuitlacoche culirrojo para niños
