In this blog, we answer the question "What is Georgia's State Bird?" You may have guessed that it was the mosquito, but it’s actually the Brown Thrasher.
So, what is Georgia's state bird?
Traveling through Georgia, or even living here as a resident and you may wonder "What is Georgia's State Bird?" The Georgia State Bird is the Brown Thrasher. It was selected to be the state bird by the Governor of Georgia in 1935 (Eugene Talmadge), however, it wasn’t officially recognized as such until 1970 after being pushed by the Garden Clubs of Georgia! You can read more about it here in this article by AJC.

Do we have many Brown Thrashers in Marietta, Georgia?
Since we started feeding backyard birds years ago, we have almost always had a Brown Thrasher or a pair of them, visiting our feeders. The first year it was just one Thrasher, but we got to know him a little bit and then we named him “Thor” because he absolutely dominates the feeding area when he is present. Thor is not scared off by Robins, Towhees, Blue Jays or Grackles. I'm pretty sure with his attitude, he'll probably even take a stand against a small hawk.
Where do you usually see Brown Thrashers?
Brown Thrashers are usually spotted near dense shrubbery, low tree limbs, or under the protective cover of small trees like Dogwoods or Japanese Maples. Often, you will hear a Brown Thrasher rustling around in the leaves well before you spot them. In our case, our resident Thor will glide in effortlessly (and quickly) and perch on or near the ground. After a quick safety check (hawks, cats, people) Thor the Brown Thrasher will start the search for insects or mealworms we tossed out for he and other birds. He will sometimes grab the leaves with two feet and flip then out of his way, other times he will use his bill to toss them. Either way, it’s pretty entertaining to watch Thor looking for food. Towhees, Bluebirds, and even Carolina Wrens better look out because Thor isn't afraid to chase them away from his food source!

Can you attract Brown Thrashers with a bird feeder?
So, can you attract Brown Thrashers to your yard with a bird feeder? Absolutely. You have to keep in mind that Thrashers are primarily after high-protein diets like insects, spiders, caterpillars, and earthworms, similar to warblers, thrushes and even woodpeckers. So how do you attract Brown Thrashers to your feeder? Match their natural diet as closely as possible. We PREFER using dried mealworms, but they will also come visit your feeders in search of Suet when insects are scarce, and they will also visit your bird bath as well! Like most Southerners, we've had Brown Thrashers in the yard long before we started to feed the birds, although feeding them brought them closer than we had been to them before. If you are ever outside and near some thick, dense shrubbery and you hear something flipping leaves, and you catch a glimpse of a brownish bird about the size of a Blue Jay or a Common Grackle, it’s probably a Brown Thrasher.

What Color eyes do Brown Thrashers have?
Here is an interesting note about the eyes of a Brown Thrasher. I read in several blogs and social media posts that some people believe that when Brown Thrashers are very young, juveniles or fledglings, their eyes appear grey or blue/grey. As the story goes, when they mature their eyes begin to turn brighter and brighter yellow. It was interesting that for most of the articles I read this was all based on theories, but I couldn't find anything at the time with proof. Well, here at Birds of West Cobb @birdsofwestcobb we have seen it to be true. We've now witnessed this natural "phenomenon" if you will, over a dozen times. The image below shows a very early fledgling, which just started visiting with his parents. Take a look at the light gray eyes!

Is it true that Brown Thrashers have a larger vocabulary than Mockingbirds?
Brown Thrashers have an INCREDIBLE vocabulary. Years ago, I experienced a Northern Mockingbird that seemed to have an endless list of calls and sounds. While impressive, I have now seen several Thrashers do the same and with at least 4-5x as many calls and sounds as the mockingbird. Brown Thrashers can mimic or call with over 1,000 sounds, and research shows that this could actually be a lot higher still, (as much as 3,000 different calls!) That is insane to think of, and it may be more vocabulary than some people I know… ha! There is an article on the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website that talks more about it, and gives a lot more information about the Brown Thrashers in general.

Can you share a video of a Brown Thrasher?
Check out this recent video clip below of a Brown Thrasher taking a bath on a warm day! We cannot stress enough the importance of keeping a clean fresh bird bath for ALL of your birds. We actually have 3 different sized plates or terracotta plant dishes that work incredibly well as bird baths.
Thanks for reading our blog here at Birds of West Cobb!
-Lisa & Dan
Attracting Brown Thrashers - Top Product Links:
When it comes to attracting Brown Thrashers to your feeder and your yard, the products below will work wonders. They may not work overnight, but with consistency you'll be very impressed how well these options work!
High-Energy Suet Cakes and a Hanging Suet Cake Feeder to hold it
C&S Suet Nuggets (another favorite of Thrashers in our yard!)
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