Sage Thrasher
Sage Thrashers are indeed aptly named, for their lives are inextricably tied to the presence of sagebrush, which the birds use for nesting, singing, displaying, and taking cover from predators. The species forages largely on the ground and, when threatened, generally dashes on foot into the brush rather than flying. Though plain in plumage, Sage Thrashers, like other thrashers, have a long, complex, and melodious song.

They breed in the western United States from eastern Washington and Oregon, across southern Idaho and Montana south through Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada to northern Arizona and New Mexico. Sage Thrashers are short-distance migrants, leaving their breeding grounds in early fall for wintering areas in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as northern Mexico, including Baja California.
Sage Thrasher Range Map

Across the species’ range, Sage Thrasher population numbers are strongly correlated with sagebrush cover; where grasses have replaced sagebrush and scrub-steppe habitat in Canada and the western United States, Sage Thrashers are no longer present. Still, recent survey data show that Sage Thrasher numbers have been more stable than those of other sagebrush obligates, such as Brewer’s Sparrow and Greater Sage-Grouse; the reasons for this difference are not understood.

Breeding Sage Thrasher pairs establish territories that they use for mating, nesting, and feeding. Small samples of field data from southeast Idaho and central Washington show that territory sizes average about 1 hectare (2.5 acres) and 0.4 hectares (1 acre), respectively. Sage Thrashers actively defend their territories from conspecifics by means of display flights, direct pursuit, and song.

Sage Thrashers eat various insects, including grasshoppers, ants, and beetles. They forage almost exclusively on the ground. They also eat fruits and berries. The winter food habits of the species have not been comprehensively studied.

Sage Thrashers generally nest in big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and three-tip sagebrush (A. tripartita), with a documented preference for larger bushes with broad crowns. Nests are relatively large structures (about 8 inches across) made of coarse twigs lined with finer matter, including grass, horsehair, wool, or fur. Nests are generally located in the densest part of the sagebrush plant, with cover above. Some nests actually have an overhead platform made of twigs, or are located under nests from previous years. Removal of overhead cover from nests with eggs, for 15 such nests studied, resulted in the loss of the eggs within 24 hours.

Sage Thrasher clutches generally include four to five eggs, though samples from specific regions have average figures lower than this range. Eggs are deep blue with large spots. Sage Thrashers readily recognize and remove Brown-headed Cowbird eggs laid in Sage Thrasher nests; there are no known cases of Sage Thrashers raising cowbirds.

Description: Sage Thrashers are the smallest thrashers, measuring 8 to 9 inches in length. Sexes similar. Adults have gray upperparts with very thin white wing bars, and white underparts with crisp dark streaks. Face shows a gray cheek patch bordered by a modest white supercilium and line behind the ears. Iris is yellow. Malar area (“moustache”) has a distinct black stripe bordered by white. Bill is short and straight. Tail is dark grayish-brown with white corner tips; though long relative to the tails of most songbirds, Sage Thrasher tails are much shorter than those of other thrasher species.

Voice: Song is a long, melodious ramble consisting of varied notes and syllables. The species also sometimes mimics other species, including Western Meadowlark, Brewer’s Sparrow, and Horned Lark. Some Sage Thrashers sing all night long, especially when the moon is full.


Visit Shaw Creek Bird Supply and see our selection of Bird Houses, Bird Feeders, Hummingbird Feeders & Heated Bird Baths .

Copyright © 2003 Shaw Creek Bird Supply