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Bendire's Thrasher

Toxostoma bendirei

Photo by JoshuaGSmith
Published on Project Noah
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33.8554, -112.163

Field Notes

Description:

Short-bill length; Pale mandible base; Contrastingly pale malar; Rufous/brown flanks; Small dots/triangles on the breast and belly. The bird did not call. It seemed more streamlined in flight than a CBTH and was observed in an Atriplex/Sage dominated desert habitat.

Habitat:

Atriplex/Sage dominated Sonoran desert

Notes:

I encountered this individual while birding a favorite patch of mine. Its identity was confirmed by Chrissy Kondrat-Smith at the AZGFD as part of a survey to conduct territory mapping and vegetative analysis. Bendire's Thrasher is a species of special concern.

Reference Links:

Bendire's Thrasher, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (4)
Desmond.E.S.O
Looks to me like a bendire's! link one: Curve-billed. Link two Bendire's. https://www.google.com/search?q=curve-billed+thrasher&espv=2&biw=1745&bih=861&tbm=isch&imgil=P8oQMJK4RkX6BM%253A%253BvV-3TBEwpmS8RM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.roysephotos.com%25252FCurveBilledThrasher.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=P8oQMJK4RkX6BM%253A%252CvV-3TBEwpmS8RM%252C_&usg=__-PEIfLvMTzHwBHTD7rxqBOkBtzo%3D&ved=0ahUKEwjNqJfF4ejJAhUY-GMKHT2-DQkQyjcIfw&ei=4r11Vs2vEJjwjwO9_LZI#imgrc=P8oQMJK4RkX6BM%3A&usg=__-PEIfLvMTzHwBHTD7rxqBOkBtzo%3D... https://www.google.com/search?q=bendire%27s+thrasher&sa=X&espv=2&biw=1745&bih=861&tbm=isch&imgil=0TGrDNeo2xN3hM%253A%253BzPKX7PaTrbABPM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.audubon.org%25252Ffield-guide%25252Fbird%25252Fbendires-thrasher&source=iu&pf=m&fir=0TGrDNeo2xN3hM%253A%252CzPKX7PaTrbABPM%252C_&usg=__pf-GcfM6KZDNRveiDEMMoGHjgzw%3D&ved=0ahUKEwij8ZDL4ejJAhVH2mMKHT71AqYQyjcIew&ei=7r11VqPCLce0jwO-6ouwCg#imgrc=0TGrDNeo2xN3hM%3A&usg=__pf-GcfM6KZDNRveiDEMMoGHjgzw%3D
Jellis
I thought this looked more like a Curved billed thrasher
Malcolm Wilton-Jones
Having posted my original comments I looked at the full size image you originally posted and on that the eye does indeed look yellow. I will add the crop for you. This certainly swings it towards Bendire's.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of the World
Mission
Sonoran Desert - Plants and Animals
Mission
Birds Of Arizona
Mission
Birds of California/Arizona
Photographed
PublishedDecember 12, 2015

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