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Sage thrasher
The sage thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) is a medium-sized passerine bird in the family Mimidae. It is the only species in the genus Oreoscoptes and the smallest of the thrashers. It is found in the regions of western North America, breeding from the Great Basin to southern British Columbia, and migrates south to southern United States and northern Mexico for winter. Sage thrashers are commonly found in shrubsteppe habitat and are strongly associated with sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) for which it relies on for nesting.
The sage thrasher is a medium-sized passerine, measuring 20.0-23.0 cm in length and weighing 39.6-50.3g. Its eyes are distinctive ranging from lemon-yellow to amber coloration. Juveniles have paler upperparts and lightly streaked underparts compare to the adults. Adults display brownish-gray upperparts and white underparts marked with dark streaks. Plumage remains relatively similar throughout the year. Sage thrasher can be distinguished from other thrashers by its shorter and less curved bill, shorter tail and smaller size.
The species was first described by the ornithologist John Kirk Townsend in 1837 and was given the name of "mountain mockingbird", but was later changed to its current name "sage thrasher" for looking more similar to thrasher than mockingbirds and based on their habitat. Just like the sage thrasher, "sage" has been used to name other birds species that are strongly associated with sagebrush such as Greater-Sage Grouse and the Sagebrush Sparrow. The genus name Oreoscoptes comes from the Greek oreos, "mountain", and skōptō, "mocker". Montanus in Latin means "from the mountains".
The species is more closely related to the genus Mimus, which includes the typical mockingbirds, than to Toxostoma, the genus that includes the typical thrashers. As a results, thrashers are consider a phenetic assemblage, a group classified based on morphological similarities rather than by shared ancestry, as members of the group are paraphyletic. The genus Oreoscoptes is monotypic, containing only the sage thrasher.
The sage thrasher breeds in shrubsteppe habitats dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) across the western United States and southern Canada. Sagebrush are essential for nesting and provides protection from the heat and from predators. The abundance of sage thrasher is positively correlated with the amount of sagebrush cover in an area as well as with woody vegetation and bare ground, and negatively with grass cover.
The northern limit of the sage thrasher for breeding extends into south-central British Columbia, Canada, in Similkameen and Okanagan valleys. In the United States, the species breeds from central Washington southward through eastern Oregon and the northerneastern part of California. Its range extaends eastward across Nevada, Utah, western Colorado, southern Idaho, Wyoming, southern Montana, and into northern Arizona and New Mexico. During winter, the sage thrasher occurs from souther from southern Nevada through central and southern Arizona, central and southern New Mexico, and west-central Texas. In Mexico, its wintering range includes northern Baja California, northwestern and central Sonora, northern Chihauahua, and Nuevo León, extending south to south to Durango. Sage thrasher are short-distance migrant and migrate towards their breeding range in early spring and leave for their wintering range in early fall.
Sage thrashers sing to attract mates and establish territories. During migration to their breeding grounds, silent individuals travel ahead of occupied territories by others until they reach an unoccupied one, where they begin to sing they are established. Singing is most frequent during territory establishment and pair formation, and stop when nest building starts. In a study in southwestern Idaho, the average song duration of four males was three minutes and the longest song lasting 22 minutes. Singing typically occurs when perch on top of surrounding vegetation.
The song consist of long sequences of soft syllables describes as being moderately musical and lacking harsh notes. Adults also produce "chuck" notes as an alarm call in response to threats. Like some of its relatives, the sage thrasher is capable of vocal mimicry and may include imitations of other bird species in its song such as the Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Sparrow and Horned Lark.
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Sage thrasher
The sage thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) is a medium-sized passerine bird in the family Mimidae. It is the only species in the genus Oreoscoptes and the smallest of the thrashers. It is found in the regions of western North America, breeding from the Great Basin to southern British Columbia, and migrates south to southern United States and northern Mexico for winter. Sage thrashers are commonly found in shrubsteppe habitat and are strongly associated with sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) for which it relies on for nesting.
The sage thrasher is a medium-sized passerine, measuring 20.0-23.0 cm in length and weighing 39.6-50.3g. Its eyes are distinctive ranging from lemon-yellow to amber coloration. Juveniles have paler upperparts and lightly streaked underparts compare to the adults. Adults display brownish-gray upperparts and white underparts marked with dark streaks. Plumage remains relatively similar throughout the year. Sage thrasher can be distinguished from other thrashers by its shorter and less curved bill, shorter tail and smaller size.
The species was first described by the ornithologist John Kirk Townsend in 1837 and was given the name of "mountain mockingbird", but was later changed to its current name "sage thrasher" for looking more similar to thrasher than mockingbirds and based on their habitat. Just like the sage thrasher, "sage" has been used to name other birds species that are strongly associated with sagebrush such as Greater-Sage Grouse and the Sagebrush Sparrow. The genus name Oreoscoptes comes from the Greek oreos, "mountain", and skōptō, "mocker". Montanus in Latin means "from the mountains".
The species is more closely related to the genus Mimus, which includes the typical mockingbirds, than to Toxostoma, the genus that includes the typical thrashers. As a results, thrashers are consider a phenetic assemblage, a group classified based on morphological similarities rather than by shared ancestry, as members of the group are paraphyletic. The genus Oreoscoptes is monotypic, containing only the sage thrasher.
The sage thrasher breeds in shrubsteppe habitats dominated by big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) across the western United States and southern Canada. Sagebrush are essential for nesting and provides protection from the heat and from predators. The abundance of sage thrasher is positively correlated with the amount of sagebrush cover in an area as well as with woody vegetation and bare ground, and negatively with grass cover.
The northern limit of the sage thrasher for breeding extends into south-central British Columbia, Canada, in Similkameen and Okanagan valleys. In the United States, the species breeds from central Washington southward through eastern Oregon and the northerneastern part of California. Its range extaends eastward across Nevada, Utah, western Colorado, southern Idaho, Wyoming, southern Montana, and into northern Arizona and New Mexico. During winter, the sage thrasher occurs from souther from southern Nevada through central and southern Arizona, central and southern New Mexico, and west-central Texas. In Mexico, its wintering range includes northern Baja California, northwestern and central Sonora, northern Chihauahua, and Nuevo León, extending south to south to Durango. Sage thrasher are short-distance migrant and migrate towards their breeding range in early spring and leave for their wintering range in early fall.
Sage thrashers sing to attract mates and establish territories. During migration to their breeding grounds, silent individuals travel ahead of occupied territories by others until they reach an unoccupied one, where they begin to sing they are established. Singing is most frequent during territory establishment and pair formation, and stop when nest building starts. In a study in southwestern Idaho, the average song duration of four males was three minutes and the longest song lasting 22 minutes. Singing typically occurs when perch on top of surrounding vegetation.
The song consist of long sequences of soft syllables describes as being moderately musical and lacking harsh notes. Adults also produce "chuck" notes as an alarm call in response to threats. Like some of its relatives, the sage thrasher is capable of vocal mimicry and may include imitations of other bird species in its song such as the Western Meadowlark, Brewer's Sparrow and Horned Lark.