California Thrasher Toxostoma redivivum
STANFORD LOCATIONS: Resident where dense, brushy vegetation provides cover and nesting habitat, although may forage in the open and sing from high, exposed perches. Sparsely distributed on main campus, but one or two pairs are usually present near the Oval. More common and widespread in scrub near the Dish and around faculty housing.

Nest Location	Nest Type	Eggs Mating System	Dev. Parental Care	Primary & 2ndary Diet	Foraging Strategy
			MF I: 14 DAYS ALTRICIAL		DIGGING
2feet - 4 feet (To 9 feet)	MF	3-4 (2-4) MONOG	F: 12-14 DAYS MF	SEEDS NUTS	FOLIAGE GLEAN

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BREEDING:	Chaparral, moist woodland with dense ground cover, brush along stream, suburbs with abundant plantings. 2 broods (occ 3?).
DISPLAYS:	Male sings from elevated perch. Female performs begging display; male presents food to or feeds female; cop on or near ground.
NEST:	Mostly hidden in shrub or low tree; bulky, of stiff twigs, lined with grass, rootlets.
EGGS:	Pale blue, spotted with pale brown, oft faint. 1.1" (29 mm).
DIET:	Mostly insects, spiders; some fruit, acorns, forb seeds. Forages primarily by digging and raking with bill.
CONSERVATION:	Winter resident.
NOTES:	Incorporates sounds of other species in its vocal repertoire. Male takes charge of fledglings while female renests. Young cannot fly until several days after leaving nest. Although highly terrestrial, male will ascend small bush to sing. Seldom forages >few feet from protective cover. Runs rapidly.
ESSAYS:	Natural Selection; Vocal Copying; Bills; Courtship Feeding; Parental Care; Precocial and Altricial Young.
REFERENCES:	Grinnell and Miller, 1986.

Help	Abbreviations	Species-Alphabetical	Species-Taxonomic	Essays-Alphabetical	Essays-Categorized
Except for Stanford Locations, the material in this species treatment is taken, with permission, from The Birder's Handbook (Paul Ehrlich, David Dobkin, & Darryl Wheye, Simon & Schuster, NY. 1988).