Bendire's Thrasher

Toxostoma bendireiOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae)

Breeding Location:

Desert, Desert, semi, Grassland

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Fairly common

Egg Color:

Green to gray green with brown marks at large end

Number of Eggs:

3 - 5

Incubation Days:

12 - 14

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Sticks., Lined with leaves, grasses, rootlets, and other fine materials.

Migration:

Northern birds migrate

Overview

Bendire's Thrasher: Medium thrasher with olive-brown upperparts, spotted buff underparts. Bill is short, gray and slightly decurved with pale pink lower mandible base. Eyes are yellow-orange. Tail is long, olive-brown above, black with white tips below, and has brown undertail coverts.

Range and Habitat

Bendire's Thrasher: Breeds in southeastern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, southern Colorado, and western and central New Mexico south to central Sonora. Spends winters in northwestern Mexico. Preferred habitats include semi-desert and desert areas, with large shrubs or cacti and open ground, and open woodlands with scattered shrubs and trees.

Breeding and Nesting

Bendire's Thrasher: Three to five brown-marked, green to gray green eggs are laid in a cup nest made of sticks and lined with leaves, grass, pieces of fabric, rootlets, and other fine materials. Nest is built 3 to 5 feet above the ground in a shrub, small tree, or cactus. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Bendire's Thrasher: Eats primarily insects but also takes some fruits; forages on the ground.

Readily Eats

Suet, Sunflower Seed, Nuts

Vocalization

Bendire's Thrasher: Song is a pleasant warbling mix of phrases, repeated one to three times. Call is a low, coarse "chek" or "chek-chek."

Similar Species

Bendire's Thrasher: Curve-billed Thrasher is larger and bulkier, with larger bill, brighter orange eyes, and different call.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Bendire's Thrasher

● Song: "chek" ,"chek-chek"

● Foraging & Feeding: Bendire's Thrasher: Eats primarily insects but also takes some fruits; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Bendire's Thrasher: Three to five brown-marked, green to gray green eggs are laid in a cup nest made of sticks and lined with leaves, grass, pieces of fabric, rootlets, and other fine materials. Nest is built 3 to 5 feet above the ground in a shrub, small tree, or cactus. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Bendire's Thrasher: Curve-billed Thrasher is larger and bulkier, with larger bill, brighter orange eyes, and different call.

Flight Pattern

Swift flight on rapidly beating wings alternating with brief periods of wings pulled to sides.

Bendire's Thrasher Fresh Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Bendire's Thrasher: Breeds in southeastern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, southern Colorado, and western and central New Mexico south to central Sonora. Spends winters in northwestern Mexico. Preferred habitats include semi-desert and desert areas, with large shrubs or cacti and open ground, and open woodlands with scattered shrubs and trees.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationNorthern birds migrate

^Weight2.2 Ounces

Field Guide to Birds of North America