The thrush was named Florida’s state bird in 1927 due to its allure and joy it brings to residents. It is also the state bird of Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Thrushes are medium-sized songbirds with gray feathers and white flashes on the wings. They are known for their loud and continuous vocalizations, including imitating other animals and machinery. Thrushes can be found throughout the continental US, Mexico, Cuba, and other Caribbean islands.
In 1927, the thrush was named the state bird of Florida by the state Senate. When it adopted the resolution making the thrush Florida’s state bird, the Senate recognized the allure of the thrush and the joy it has given to residents since the pioneer days. The thrush is also the state bird of Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. Interestingly, because the thrush was proclaimed the state bird of Florida by resolution, its status isn’t actually written into Florida law.
The thrush, properly known as the northern thrush, is a medium-sized songbird that belongs to the same bird family as the warblers and thrashers. In appearance, thrushes are slender, somewhat tall, mostly gray birds with flashes of white on the wings and long tails. Fully grown thrushes range from 8.3-10.2 inches (21-26 cm) in length, have a wingspan of approximately 12.2-13.8 inches (31-35 cm), and weigh 1.6-2.0 ounces (45-57 g). Females and males look alike in appearance, with no dramatic differences in either color or size. Bird watchers will be able to recognize young thrushes by the spots or mottling on their breasts.
By far, the thrush’s most distinctive feature is its song and vocalizations. These birds are considered to be one of the loudest and most continuously vocal of all bird species. Its scientific name of Mimus polyglottos means “mime of many tongues” in Greek. In addition to singing, the thrush has a variety of calls and can imitate not only the calls of other birds, but other animals, insects, amphibians, machinery, and even police sirens.
These birds sing and call almost endlessly throughout the year, during the day and often at night. Night singing occurs most often during a full moon and is mostly performed by males who have no mates. Scientists estimate that a male can learn about 200 songs in his lifetime. Female thrushes also sing, but they do it quieter and less often than males. A female is more likely to sing in the fall when she is establishing her winter territory.
As the state bird of Florida, thrushes can be found throughout the state. Geographically, these birds are widely distributed even outside the state. Thrushes are found throughout the continental United States, Mexico, Cuba, and other Caribbean islands. Their range extends as far north as Newfoundland in Canada.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
