Sage Thrasher

Sage Thrasher
Sage Thrasher
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Mimidae
Genus: Oreoscoptes
Baird, 1858
Species: O. montanus
Binomial name
Oreoscoptes montanus
(Townsend, 1837)

The Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) is a medium-sized passerine bird from the family Mimidae, which also includes mockingbirds, tremblers and New World catbirds. It is the only member of the genus Oreoscoptes. This seems less close to the Caribbean thrashers, but rather to the mockingbirds instead (Hunt et al. 2001, Barber et al. 2004).

O. montanus are pale grey-brown on the upperparts and white on the underparts with dark streaks. They have a slim straight relatively short bill, yellow eyes and a long tail, although not as long as that of other thrashers.

As its name suggests, this bird breeds in western North America, from southern Canada to northern Arizona and New Mexico. Its breeding habitat is in areas with dense stands of sagebrush and rarely in other shrubby areas. The female lays 4 or 5 eggs in a twiggy cup nest built in a low bush. Both parents incubate and feed the young birds.

In winter, these birds migrate to the southernmost United States and Mexico, including the Baja Peninsula, north and south.

They mainly eat insects in summer; they also eat berries, especially in winter. They usually search for insects on the ground in brushy locations.

The male bird sings a series of warbled notes to defend his nesting territory.

These birds have declined in some areas where sagebrush has been removed but are still common where suitable habitat remains. The continued decline of sagebrush habitats in western North America is cause for alarm for this and other sagebrush dependent species.

References

  • BirdLife International (2004). Oreoscoptes montanus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
  • Hunt, Jeffrey S.; Bermingham, Eldredge; & Ricklefs, Robert E. (2001): Molecular systematics and biogeography of Antillean thrashers, tremblers, and mockingbirds (Aves: Mimidae). Auk 118(1): 35–55. DOI:10.1642/0004-8038(2001)118[0035:MSABOA]2.0.CO;2 HTML fulltext without images

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sage thrasher — Thrasher Thrash er, Thresher Thresh er, n. 1. One who, or that which, thrashes grain; a thrashing machine. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) A large and voracious shark ({Alopias vulpes}), remarkable for the great length of the upper lobe of its tail …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sage thrasher — Sage Sage, n. [OE. sauge, F. sauge, L. salvia, from salvus saved, in allusion to its reputed healing virtues. See {Safe}.] (Bot.) (a) A suffruticose labiate plant ({Salvia officinalis}) with grayish green foliage, much used in flavoring meats,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sage thrasher — noun : a thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) that inhabits sagebrush in western No. America and is pale grayish brown above and white spotted with brownish below * * * a grayish brown thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus, of sagebrush regions of the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • sage thrasher — kreivasnapiai mėgdžiotojai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Oreoscoptes angl. sage thrasher vok. Bergspottdrossel, f rus. горный кривоклювый пересмешник, m pranc. moqueur des armoises, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas –… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • sage thrasher — kreivasnapis mėgdžiotojas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Oreoscoptes montanus; Toxostoma montanus angl. sage thrasher vok. Bergspottdrossel, f rus. горный кривоклювый пересмешник, m pranc. moqueur des armoises, m ryšiai …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • sage-thrasher — sageˈ thrashˈer noun The mountain mockingbird • • • Main Entry: ↑sage …   Useful english dictionary

  • sage thrasher — a grayish brown thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus, of sagebrush regions of the western U.S. [1880 85] * * * …   Universalium

  • sage thrasher — noun A thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) which is a pale gray brown above and white with brown streaks below and inhabits sagebrush regions in south western North America …   Wiktionary

  • Thrasher — Thrash er, Thresher Thresh er, n. 1. One who, or that which, thrashes grain; a thrashing machine. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) A large and voracious shark ({Alopias vulpes}), remarkable for the great length of the upper lobe of its tail, with… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thrasher shark — Thrasher Thrash er, Thresher Thresh er, n. 1. One who, or that which, thrashes grain; a thrashing machine. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) A large and voracious shark ({Alopias vulpes}), remarkable for the great length of the upper lobe of its tail …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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