Back to Field Guide
Sage Thrasher
Oreoscoptes montanus
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the 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.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Oreoscoptes montanus
- Family
- Mockingbirds and Thrashers
- Order
- Passeriformes
Similar species
Other members of the mockingbirds and thrashers family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- Bahama Mockingbird Mimus gundlachii
- Bendire's Thrasher Toxostoma bendirei
- Black Catbird Melanoptila glabrirostris
- Blue Mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens
- Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus
- Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum
- California Thrasher Toxostoma redivivum
- Cozumel Thrasher Toxostoma guttatum
- Crissal Thrasher Toxostoma crissale
- Curve-billed Thrasher Toxostoma curvirostre
- Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
- Gray Thrasher Toxostoma cinereum
Know when the Sage Thrasher turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Sage Thrasher
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.
8 min readRead guide
Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
12 min readRead guide