Planet of Birds

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 10 abstract A common trend in neuroscience is convergence on selected model systems. Underlying this approach is an often implicit assumption that mechanisms observed in one species are characteristic of all related species. Although themodel systemapproach has been extremelyproductive, itmight not account for all of themechanistic differences between species […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 5 abstract Vocal mimics that produce large repertoires of song types, such as in the Mimidae, have uniquechallenges discriminating songs of conspecifics from those of other mimids in areas where these species cooccur.We investigated cues used by Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) in discriminating their songsfrom songs of a sympatric […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 11 abstract Food hoarding is a widespread and complex behavior (Vander Wall 1990). Most research has focused on cache placement or food recovery by the hoarding animal, or on cache theft by conspecifics or by other food-hoarding species. Here, I document the way in which Brown Thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 12 abstract Brown Thrasher Life History Data Information of more than usual value was obtained from a set of records compiled at the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Northampton and Easthampton, Massachussetts Edwin A. Mason, Bird Banding 23, 1969 Download article download full text (pdf)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 9 abstract Our current understanding of the soundgenerating mechanism in the songbird vocal organ, the syrinx, is based on indirect evidence and theoretical treatments. The classical avian model of sound production postulates that the medial tympaniform membranes (MTM) are the principal sound generators. FRANZ GOLLER AND OLE N. LARSEN, […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 2 abstract The gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) has been documented visiting and breakingthe eggs of artificial nests, but the implications of such observations are unclear because there is little cost in depredating an undefended nest. During the summer of 2001 at Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas, we videotaped a […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 3 abstract Although avian frugivores are known to be important dispersers of seeds of pokeweed, Phytolaccaamericana L., there are no studies that rigorously examine the effect of gut passage through avian frugivores onP. americana seeds. I examined how passage through avian frugivores affected the proportion of P. americana seedsgerminating, […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 4 abstract The role of syringeal muscles in controlling the aperture of the avian vocal organ, the syrinx, was evaluated directly for the first time by observing and filming through anendoscope while electrically stimulating different muscle groups of anaesthetised birds. Ole Naesbye Larsen and Franz Goller, The Journal of […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 6 abstract Rates of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds Molothrus ater on nests of Brown Thrashers Toxostoma rufum in south-central North Dakota ranged from 3% to 18% from 1984-1986. The average observed rate of parasitism, 12%, was higher than typically reported for Brown Thrashers. We conducted an experiment to […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Science Article 1 abstract The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) in Florida exHibits a high rate of occurrence of an elongated sickle-bill type of abnormality. This observation became evident after having reviewed the literature on the subject and after I captured an apparently healthy thrasherwith an elongated, decurved bill in north Tampa, […]