Oreoscoptes montanus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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.
The sage thrasher is a medium-sized passerine, measuring 20.0-23.0 cm in length and weighing 39.6-50.3g. Its eyes are distinctive ranging from lemon-yellow to amber coloration. Juveniles have paler upperparts and lightly streaked underparts compare to the adults. Adults display brownish-gray upperparts and white underparts marked with dark streaks. Plumage remains relatively similar throughout the year. Sage thrasher can be distinguished from other thrashers by its shorter and less curved bill, shorter tail and smaller size.
The species was first described by the ornithologist John Kirk Townsend in 1837 and was given the name of "mountain... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 13 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Mesa | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sage Thrasher sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 77 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 87th most-seen of the 141 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and March
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sage Thrasher in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April to January, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sage Thrasher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Sage Thrasher sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%) and Death Valley National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Mimidae
The closest relatives of the Sage Thrasher that you can see in Joshua Tree National Park (family Mimidae, Mockingbirds and Thrashers) are Northern Mockingbird (about 40%) and California Thrasher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sage Thrasher is recorded against all the birds logged in Joshua Tree National Park (77 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
