This is bird note. You might know the copycat songs of Northern Mockingbirds. But they're not the only mimic birds in town.

Brown thrashers also learn songs from nearby birds and

nearby birds and add them to their repertoire.

The species has been documented singing over 1,100 different songs, a mix of imitations and invented little melodies.

While mockingbirds usually repeat a song or phrase three or more times before moving on,

Brown Thrashers tend to repeat a phrase only twice.

Brown thrashers are striking birds with bright yellow eyes, cinnamon brown back in wings, and a white breast with dark streaks.

They swing their large beaks through leaves on the ground to uncover seeds and insects.

The species nests and hedges in shrub thickets.

Its population has declined by about 41% since 1966

as its nesting habitats have dwindled.

Brown Thrashers live year round in the southeastern U.S.

and breed in the northeast, Midwest, and Great Plains.

Getting to know your local Thrasher can be rewarding. You never know when they might have a new song to perform.

For Bird Note, I'm Ariana Rimmel. This episode is brought to you by the BobaLink Foundation. The