Family: Mimids (Mimidae)
Genus & Species: Toxostoma crissale
Identification:
 - Size: 11.5" length, 12.5" wingspan, 2.2oz weight
 - Male color and appearance: dark gray-brown above fading to lighter shades below; large curved black bill; pale eye, sometimes yellowish; usually with a black moustache; rusty undertail coverts; long tail.
 - Female ID: Appearance like male.
 - Juvenile ID: Like adult.
 - Flight: Direct quick flights close to the ground. Note long tail.
Feeding Behavior: Generally feeds on the ground, searching out bugs and small invertebrates.
Similar Species: Quite similar to California Thrasher, but range doesn't overlap. Can be confused with other thrashers, but is darker than the other species. If visible, the dark rufous undertail patch is definitive. The black moustache is also unique if visible. In a quick flight, Abert's Towhees look quite similar and often occupy the same territory.
Songs and Calls: Song is a melodic jumble of notes--less scratchy than Curve-billed Thrasher. Several calls, the most common of which is a two part "churry-churry". See recordings below.
Status: Common to uncommon in southern & western Arizona; uncommon to rare in southeastern California; in some areas quite secretive.
Habitat: Often in dense mesquite and thick brush in southwestern deserts. Also in thick cover in riparian areas.
Range:
 - CA: southeastern corner of the state
 - AZ: southern and western portions of the state
 - NM: most of the southern part of the state
 - TX: extreme western portion of the state
Seen recently at: Yuma West Wetlands, AZ, where it is seen on 9 out of 10 visits.
Best Chances: Southwest Arizona, common at Yuma West Wetlands and Betty's Kitchen, especially in late winter and early spring, when it often sings from exposed perches. Also easier to see in summer and fall when juveniles are out feeding.