MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS: Family Mimidae [ 463 ] 



In Oregon, the extreme of its western range, the Catbird is somewhat 

 more shy than farther east. Occasionally one is observed perched on a 

 conspicuous twig particularly in the courting season but more fre- 

 quently the song or meowing alarm note is given from the shelter of 

 some thick bush, and it is often necessary to search the thickets carefully 

 in order to catch a glimpse of the slate-colored songster. 



Sage Thrasher: 



Oreoscoptes montanus (Townsend) 



DESCRIPTION. "Bill much shorter than head; rictal bristles well developed; wings 

 and tail of equal length; tail graduated. Adults: upper parts dull grayish brown, 

 indistinctly streaked; wings with two narrow white bars; tail with inner web of 2. 

 to 4 outer feathers tipped with white; under parts whitish, buffy on flanks and under 

 tail coverts; breast and sides marked with brown to sooty spots. Young: like adults, 

 but upper parts indistinctly streaked with darker, and streaks on under parts less 

 sharply defined. Length: 8-9, wing 3.95-4.19, tail 3.2.0-3.35, bill .60-. 65." (Bailey) 

 Nest: Of sage twigs, plant stems, and grasses, lined with rootlets; in sagebrush or 

 other bush near the ground. Eggs: 3 to 5, rich greenish blue, spotted with brown 

 (Plate 80). 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from southern British Columbia, central Montana, 

 and western Nebraska south to southern California and northern New Mexico. 

 Winters south into Mexico. In Oregon: Common summer resident and breeding 

 species of sagebrush areas of eastern Oregon. Casual straggler in western Oregon. 



THE SAGE THRASHER is one of the characteristic sagebrush birds. Its dull 

 color matches the gray landscape that its rollicking song does so much 

 to enliven. It is the supreme songster of the sage and has been noted in 

 every county in eastern Oregon, but is most abundant in the great sage 

 slopes and valleys of Malheur, Harney, and Lake Counties. It appears 

 in April (earliest date, April 8, Morrow County) and remains until Sep- 

 tember (latest date, October 19, Harney County). 



There are two records for western Oregon where it may be regarded 

 as a casual straggler only. Shelton (1917) reported a specimen from 

 Oakridge, July 6, 1916, and in our Birds of the Portland Area (Jewett and 

 Gabnelson 192.9) we recorded an individual that appeared at a bird bath 

 in Gabrielson's yard in Portland, August n, 192.4. 



Bendire (Brewer 1875) * s credited with the first record and also with 

 the first nesting record when he took eggs at Camp Harney, May 2.9, 1875. 

 He stated (Bendire 1877) that the species commenced to nest about the 

 end of April and left the valley in September. The nests are usually 

 located in the sage and are not difficult to find. Our records of egg dates 

 extend from May 6 to June 2.0. 



