We have a new addition to the BFS Bird List! On Sunday, October 25, a Sage Thrasher (Orescoptes montanus) was seen hopping down the road on the eastern side of pHake Lake (photo below).
Sage Thrasher at the BFS
The Sage Thrasher is the smallest thrasher. It has a brownish-gray back, prominent dark streaking on white underparts, thin white wingbars, white tips on the corners of the tail, and a short (for a thrasher) straight bill. It often adopts an upright posture as seen the photo, and will frequently run instead of fly if disturbed. The Sage Thrasher is mostly found in the western US (but mostly east of California) in Artemisia-dominated valleys and plains. It is a rare migrant in the LA Basin. The nearest sighting to the BFS reported in eBird is from October 17, 2008, at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.
You can see more photos of the Sage Thrasher in our photos database.