Claim: The California thrasher, which has a long, decurved beak, and a dark cheek pattern and is about 30 cm in length,  rarely flies in the open and are rarely seen.
Evidence: It has a distinctive long, decurved beak, and is generally brown, with buffy underparts and undertail (unlike the crissal). It has a dark cheek pattern and eye-line, and unlike most thrashers, has dark eyes. At about 12 in (30 cm) and nearly 85 g (3.0 oz), the California thrasher is the largest species of mimid. Like most thrashers, it rarely flies in the open, preferring to keep hidden in dense brush. Therefore, while it is common throughout much of its range, it is rarely seen.