Beak of the Week: Sage Thrasher

Although I have primarily been using this blog to document my travels and adventures, I would like to also occasionally highlight an interesting bird behavior, or interaction, or a particular species that piques my interest or curiosity. I will call these posts, “Beak of the Week”.

First Beak of the Week: the Sage Thrasher. Sage Thrashers are typically shy and stealthy birds, so it was quite a treat to encounter such a confiding individual who has taken up residence at the Sedgwick Reserve in Santa Ynez, CA. In fact, this adult bird was quite reliably found under a Purple Sage right outside of my studio. These are the smallest of the thrashers, and lack the characteristically long curved bill of the more familiar California Thrasher. Their pale yellow eye is striking and contrasts with their grayish upperparts and boldly streaked breast and belly. Sage Thrashers breed exclusively in the vast open landscapes of the Great Basin and are most common in areas dominated by Sagebrush, so one would not necessarily expect to encounter this bird in the oak savannahs of Sedgwick.

My time at Sedgwick Reserve was quite special, and I look forward to writing more about my experiences there and many of my other plant and animal encounters!