Curved between Straight

A Curve-Billed Thrasher looks out from between the straight, pointed leaves of a yucca tree in Big Bend National Park. These are desert specialists, related to the brown thrashers of eastern forests. Their gray-brown coloration helps them blend in with their desert surroundings, though this individual was comfortable being out in the open near the Panther Junction Visitor Center. Their comfort around people allowed me to get this close-up portrait without disturbing the bird.