A series highlighting some of the wildlife of the Gettysburg Battlefield photographed there by the webmaster.
Offering a variety of habitat ranging from mature forest to open pasture, the Gettysburg National Military Park is home to many species of animals including amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. This post focuses on the park’s Brown Thrashers.
The Brown Thrasher is a bird in the thrush family. They are related to mockingbirds. The Brown Thrasher is known for having one of the largest song repertoires of any North American bird — they are thought to know up to 300 songs. Brown Thrashers are omnivores. These birds can be extremely aggressive when defending their nests.
The Brown Thrasher is the Georgia state bird. The Georgia state website describes them thusly: “Almost a foot in length, the Thrasher has a long, curved bill and a very long tail. It has two prominent white wing bars, a rich brown color on its top side, and a creamy white breast heavily streaked with brown.”
Best Places to See Them: Brown Thrashers tend to like thickets and dense brush, but they like open areas as well. This Brown Thrasher was photographed north of the Wheatfield on the Wheatfield Road. I would look for Brown Thrashers in the Wheatfield and in Excelsior Field. Brown Thrashers migrate to the Gettysburg area in the summer, so your best bet to see them is in the spring to fall. They live year round in the South.
