Sage Thrasher
Oreoscoptes montanus
Once called the Mountain Mockingbird, we find Sage Thrashers in sage-shrub dominated habitats of the western United States. In Spring and Summer, the Great Basin is a good place to find these birds, but they also travel as far north as the Canadian border in eastern Washington and central Montana. Winters find them in the desert southwest of the USA and northern Mexico.
Thrashers earned their name by their foraging technique; they use their beaks to dig through soft soils under leaf litter to find their invertebrate prey.
Oil and mineral explorations, as well as overgrazing, threaten the sensitive habitat these birds require for survival. Likewise, conversion to agriculture threatens their habitat.
Science views Sage Thrashers as monotypic (no subspecies recognised).
Though I’ve enjoyed meeting these birds in many locations throughout the western USA, such as Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and the Texas-New Mexico border, my favorite encounters have been in the high country east of the Sierra-Nevada Mountains. There always seems to be a wealth of Sage Thrashers there at the western boundary of the Great Basin. It is a perfect habitat for these birds.
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Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Culp Valley. Between Ranchita and Borrego Springs. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:03:30 8:45 |
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Location:
Culp Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X9276-SageThrasher |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: I made this cut-out composite from two birds I met in the Great Basin. Wings-up was caught in 2016 near Mono Lake and its friend was caught nearer the borders of California, Oregon and Nevada in 2015. |
Date Taken: 2016:07:09 15:16 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: |
File Name: Cut_D3X8292-D72-1729-SageThrasher |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: (Oreoscoptes montanus) Perched on sage having just brought food for its nestlings. Upper Owens River Valley, near Crowley Lake, Mono County, California USA 2011-05-29. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 10:12 |
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Location:
Whitmore Hot Springs |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: JCD8555-SageThrasher |
| © 2011 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Perched on sage with food for nestlings. Upper Owens River Valley, near Crowley Lake, Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 10:11 |
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Location:
Whitmore Hot Springs |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD8511-SageThrasher |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Perched on sage with food for nestlings. Upper Owens River Valley, near Crowley Lake, Mono County, California USA 2011-05-29. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 10:08 |
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Location:
Whitmore Hot Springs |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD8495-SageThrasher |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Culp Valley. Between Ranchita and Borrego Springs. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:03:30 8:47 |
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Location:
Culp Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X9284-SageThrasher |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 16:12 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X0833-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Good Sagebrush Sparrow, Sage Thrasher and Brewer's Sparrow habitat. Along Highway 140 that travels between Denio Nevada, through northern Nevada to Adel Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 11:59 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X8343-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Good Sagebrush Sparrow, Sage Thrasher and Brewer's Sparrow habitat. Along Highway 140 that travels between Denio Nevada, through northern Nevada to Adel Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 11:49 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X8304-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Good Sagebrush Sparrow, Sage Thrasher and Brewer's Sparrow habitat. Along Highway 140 that travels between Denio Nevada, through northern Nevada to Adel Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 11:48 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X8292-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
|
Description: Good Sagebrush Sparrow, Sage Thrasher and Brewer's Sparrow habitat. Along Highway 140 that travels between Denio Nevada, through northern Nevada to Adel Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 11:48 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X8285-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
|
Description: Good Sagebrush Sparrow, Sage Thrasher and Brewer's Sparrow habitat. Along Highway 140 that travels between Denio Nevada, through northern Nevada to Adel Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 11:47 |
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Location:
Highway 140 |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X8281-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: I met this juvenile bird west of Highway 395, north of June Lake Junction. Mono County, California USA 2014-08-08. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:08 11:28 |
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Location:
June Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: D3X7396-SageThrasher |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 7:54 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: D3X1287-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 7:51 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: D3X1280-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 16:17 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: D3X0868-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Seen on my first visit to Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah USA 2015-05-10. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 16:12 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X0841-SageThrasher |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: On the road to South Tufa near Lee Vining California. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 12:49 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D72-1732-SageThrasher |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Perched on Sage. Upper Owens River Valley, California. |
Date Taken: 2005:05:18 7:12 |
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Location:
Benton Crossing |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/16.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD1490SageThrasher |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Singing joyfully at the dawn's early light at my camp beside Lake Crowley. |
Date Taken: 2016:04:22 7:57 |
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Location:
North Landing |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D728169-SageThrasher |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: On the road to South Tufa near Lee Vining California. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:08 12:49 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D72-1726-SageThrasher |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: And we have lift-off. Malheur NWR is in southeastern Oregon, west of Steens Mountains and south of Burns Oregon. Harney County. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:30 8:42 |
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Location:
Center Patrol Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: SageThrasher_D5X8853-MalheurNWR |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Posing nicely. Malheur NWR is in southeastern Oregon, west of Steens Mountains and south of Burns Oregon. Harney County. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:30 8:42 |
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Location:
Center Patrol Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: SageThrasher_D5X8849-MalheurNWR |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Malheur NWR is in southeastern Oregon, west of Steens Mountains and south of Burns Oregon. Harney County. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:30 8:41 |
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Location:
Malheur NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: SageThrasher_D5X8829-MalheurNWR |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: At the South Tufa shores of Mono Lake. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:08 14:35 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X7650-SageThrasher |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Along the Great Southern Overland Stage Route, at Agua Caliente County Park. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:03:26 9:21 |
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Location:
Vallecito Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 |
File Name: D3X2763-SageThrasher |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Culp Valley. Between Ranchita and Borrego Springs. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:03:30 8:44 |
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Location:
Culp Valley |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X9271-SageThrasher |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Several Sage Thrashers came to the water while I was there. The morning after I arrived, the birds found a temporary watering hole at Pine Springs Camp. The event at Guadalupe National Park was a memorable one for me. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:28 11:02 |
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Location:
Pine Springs |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: SageThrasher_D5X6122-GuadalupeMountain-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Sage Thrasher(Oreoscoptes montanus) |
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Description: Sage Thrashers joined the bluebirds at the waterhole. The morning after I arrived, the birds found a temporary watering hole at Pine Springs Camp. The event at Guadalupe National Park was a memorable one for me. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:28 11:03 |
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Location:
Pine Springs |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: SageThrasher_D5X6145-GuadalupeMountain-TX |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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