Sage Thrasher

Oreoscoptes montanusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae)

Codes: Common Name: SATH Scientific Name: OREMON ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178654

Sage Thrasher: The breeding adult Sage Thrasher has gray upperparts and dark-streaked white underparts with pale brown wash. Head is gray and bill is short and slightly decurved. Wings are dark with very thin, white bars. Tail is dark with white corners.

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Sage Thrasher: Small thrasher, gray upperparts, dark-streaked white underparts with pale brown wash. The head is gray, bill is short and slightly decurved. Wings are dark with thin,white bars. Tail is dark with white corners. Legs and feet are black. Fast flight on shallow wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Sage Thrasher: Breeds in the western U.S. from eastern Washington and Oregon, across southern Idaho and Montana south through Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada to northern Arizona and New Mexico. Spends winters in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as northern Mexico, including Baja California. Preferred habitats include dry sagebrush plains and arid areas such as the floors of rocky canyons.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chuck-chuck"

Interesting Facts

A bird of the sagebrush, the Sage Thrasher is the smallest of the thrashers.

It is elusive when disturbed, frequently running on the ground rather than taking flight.

Some genetic studies suggest that they are more closely related to mockingbirds than true thrashers.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Sage Thrasher

● Song: "chuck-chuck"

● Foraging & Feeding: Sage Thrasher: Eats insects, other invertebrates, and berries; forages on the ground and in vegetation.

● Breeding & nesting: Sage Thrasher: Four to seven green blue to dark blue eggs heavily spotted with brown are laid in a nest made of twigs, forbs, bits of bark, and leaves, and lined with fine material. Nest is usually built in sagebrush or another large bush with a broad crown. Incubation ranges from 13 to 17 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Sage Thrasher: Bendire's and Curve-billed thrashers have decurved bills, browner upperparts, and fewer spots on underparts.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with shallow wing beats., Alternates several rapid wing beats with wings pulled to sides.

Sage Thrasher Breeding Adult Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Sage Thrasher: Breeds in the western U.S. from eastern Washington and Oregon, across southern Idaho and Montana south through Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada to northern Arizona and New Mexico. Spends winters in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as northern Mexico, including Baja California. Preferred habitats include dry sagebrush plains and arid areas such as the floors of rocky canyons.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1.4 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Sage Thrasher

Related Birds

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Range and Habitat

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

Interesting Facts

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Artist

Sage Thrasher

Flight Pattern