Photo: John J. Mosesso, NBII / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Crissal Thrasher
Toxostoma crissale
Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) is a member of the Mimidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 62.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Mimidae Mockingbirds, Thrashers
- Genus Toxostoma
- Species crissale
Where it lives
Southwestern USA and northern, central Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 62.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Mimidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Critically Endangered
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Crissal Thrasher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Crissal Thrasher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) is a member of the Mimidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw USA and n, c Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 62.7 g, with a wing length of about 10.1 cm and a tail of around 10.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Crissal Thrasher?
The Crissal Thrasher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 62.7 g.
Where does the Crissal Thrasher live?
The Crissal Thrasher is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw USA and n, c Mexico, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Crissal Thrasher belong to?
The Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale) belongs to the Mimidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Crissal Thrasher eat?
The Crissal Thrasher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Crissal Thrasher migrate?
The Crissal Thrasher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Crissal Thrasher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Crissal Thrasher make?
1 real field recording of the Crissal Thrasher — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Crissal Thrasher's range?
The Crissal Thrasher has a mapped global range of about 1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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