They live in city parks, suburbs, roadsides, farmland, and other open country areas. Its muted call is a repetitive ohhh, Hoo, hoo, hoo that is often mistaken for an owl's. In flight, it's wings make a soft whistling sound. The mature male is jet black with red shoulders. They are unmistakable.
Females are dark brown and densely streaked.
They are best shown off by their sharp and tapered beaks. Younger males look like females, but are darker, with some red-orange on their shoulders. Breeding grounds are marshes, wet thickets , ponds , and prairies. The Brown Trasher has a long brown tail, and the top of the head is brown. Its wings are brown with white streaks.