Sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus, also known as the mountain mockingbird, photographed at Smith Point, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Texas, USA.
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 18 October 2010 [velociraptorize].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/500s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400
Question: This migratory North American mystery bird is inextricably tied to a particular type of habitat. Can you name the bird and the habitat where it is found?
Response: This is an adult sage thrasher, Oreoscoptes montanus, in fresh plumage. The sage thrasher is a member of the mockingbird family. Thrashers and mockingbirds produce complex songs that often contain elements of other birds' songs. The sage trasher is the only thrasher in the genus Oreoscoptes, but genetic studies indicate this species may be more closely related to the mockingbirds (Mimus) than to other thrashers (Toxostoma).
The sage thrasher is a sagebrush obligate species; its abundance is positively correlated with the amount of sage brush and negatively correlated with the amount of grass.
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