THRASHERS

Bendire’s Thrasher

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Toxostoma bendirei

The Bendire's Thrasher is a medium-sized species of thrasher native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

The Bendire's Thrasher is a medium-sized, lanky songbird with a long tail, a fairly long, slightly curved bill, and strong legs.
Upperparts are almost uniform olive-brown. They have two indistinct whitish wing bars and white outer tail feathers.
Underparts are pale buff. Chest and sides are finely streaked with dusky triangular spots, less conspicuous in worn summer plumage. Undertail coverts are dark.

Head is gray brown to olive-brown, with buff forehead, brown crown and olive-green nape. Chin and throat are white.
Bill is down curved and relatively short, dark gray, with paler base on lower mandible. Eyes are yellow. Legs and feet are dark brown.

Both sexes are similar.

Juveniles have a streaked head and back. Wing bars are slightly cinnamon. Underparts are finely marked with small dusky streaks.

Both sexes are about 9 - 9.8 inches long, 13 - 15 inches wingspan and 60 grams in weight.

CALL: A low, dry, gruff “chek”, sometimes doubles “chuk-chek”.

SONG: A clear, melodious warbler with frequent repetitions of phrases.

They feed mainly on insects, such as grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, larvae and pupae. They also consume seeds and berries.

They live in open farmlands, grasslands and brushy arid to semi-arid deserts, open country with scattered scrubs, cacti and hedges. They breed mainly in grasslands, shrublands or woodlands.

Southern California, to south-west Colorado and to northwestern Mexico.

The nest is an open bowl-shaped construction. The outer part is made with sticks, the cup is made with grass, and the interior is lined with softer materials such as animal hair and feathers.

The female lays 3 - 4 pale greenish eggs, finely spotted with dark markings. Incubation lasts about 12 - 14 days, shared by both parents.

SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com