Brown Thrashers as feeder birds

[Sean S]

I really wasn't expecting them to keep coming back for suet, but for a week now there a family 4 Brown Thrashers coming out into the yard frequently and behaving comfortably around the feeder station.  They've always been in our area but usually secretive in the way the species normally is.  These ones sometimes don't care if I open the window 10 feet away from them.  They are still a bit wary, but I'd put these ones below the Cardinals in terms of general flightiness.  Brown Thrashers hop in an unusually fast and powerful way, something I never noticed about the species until seeing them so frequently. 

Sean Smith

[tom A]

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the post.  Where are you located?  Here in Unity thrashers have been feeder birds for at least 7 or 8 years for us, but on and off.  Some pairs seem shyer.  It is good to see this species adapt so well to the rural suburbs.  They seem to take comfort in humans providing safety in a cat and predator free yard.  We've had them nest within 10 feet of the busiest spots in our yard.

Good birding,

tom