478 Birds of Colorado 
Sage-Thrasher. Oroscoptes montanus. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 702—Colorado Records—Allen 72, p. 147; 
Trippe 74, p. 228 ; Henshaw 75, p. 149 ; Scott 79, p. 91; Drew 81, p. 86, 
85, p. 15; Allen & Brewster 83, p. 153; Beckham 85, p. 140; Morrison 
88, p. 71 ; McGregor 97, p. 39 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 119, 221 ; Henderson 
03, p. 108 ; 09, p. 240; Warren 06, p. 24; 08, p. 25; 09, p. 17; Gilman 
07, pp. 42, 194 ; Rockwell 08, p. 177. 
Description.—Adult—Above pale earthy-brown, with indistinct 
darker mesial streaks on the head ; wings and tail duskier-brown, 
the former with pale whity edgings to the feathers, those of the coverts 
forming indistinct wing-bands ; three pairs of outer tail-feathers tipped 
with white ; below white, tinged with buffy on the sides and posteriorly ; 
a blackish malar streak and a series of triangular black spots on the 
breast and flanks ; iris lemon-yellow, bill dusky, paler towards the base 
of the lower mandible ; legs horny, olivaceous in the flesh. Length 
7-75; wing 3-80; tail 3-50; culmen -75; tarsus 1-15. 
The sexes are alike, and the young birds are very similar, but a little 
browner and less grey, and with the streaks on the under-side less 
sharply defined. 
Distribution.—Breeding throughout the drier portions of western 
North America from eastern British Columbia to western Texas, and 
from north Dakota to the interior of southern California ; in winter 
south to northern Mexico and lower California. 
The Sage-Thrasher is a not uncommon summer resident throughout 
Colorado, from the plains to about 9,000 feet, wherever arid conditions 
and the accompanying sage-brush are to be met with. It is chiefly 
found at moderate elevations, but has been noticed breeding at Dillon, 
about 9,000 feet, in Summit co., by Carter. It arrives from the south 
about the middle of April (10th to 15th in El Paso co., Allen & Brewster) 
and leaves again in October. Other breeding records are: Fort 
Garland (Henshaw), Snake River in Routt co. (Warren), and between 
Cortez and Navajo Springs (Gilman). It is more abundant in the 
south and west, but is reported as far north as Boulder (Henderson). 
Habits.—This bird is nearly always associated with 
the dreary, arid sage-bush plains, where, sitting on the 
top of some low bush, with its beautiful low warbling 
song, it makes a pleasant contrast to the surrounding 
desolate waste. 
The nest is a bulky, inartistic structure of coarse twigs, 
lined with grasses and fine rootlets, and is placed some- 
times in a low sage bush, sometimes in a larger thorny 
