''Toxostoma'' is a genus of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

in the family Mimidae. This genus contains most of the birds called

thrasher Thrashers are a New World group of perching bird, passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the family (biology), family Mimidae. There are 15 species in one large and 4 monotypic genus, genera. T ...

s, and accordingly members of this genus are sometimes referred to as the "typical thrashers".

Description

They measure 22 to 32 cm long. Its tail is straight and quite long, as much or more than the body. As in the mulattoes and the mockingbirds, the bill is curved downwards, and is generally long, although it varies according to the species. Its plumage is opaque, brownish or greyish, with darker wings and tail. On the wings there are usually stripes of a lighter shade. The feathers on the throat, chest and belly are usually light (white or greyish) and in most species these parts of the body have dark spots. The eyes can be yellow, orange or reddish. They generally feed on insects, but also on fruits, seeds, worms, molluscs and, occasionally, small reptiles. Most are songbirds that make musical sounds, and are therefore prized as cage birds. Some species also have migratory habits, since in summer they move to the south of their nesting area. They prefer desert or semi-desert habitats and areas of shrubby vegetation; some species inhabit forests, and only one (T. guttatum) is tropical.

Species

The genus name ''Toxostoma'' comes from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

, "bow" or "arch" and ''stoma'', "mouth". The genus contains the following species:

References

Mimidae Bird genera * Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Mimidae-stub