Le Conte's Thrasher

Le Conte's Thrasher is the palest and among the shyest members of its family, a ghost-colored bird of the starkest, most open desert habitat in North America. Its sandy grayish-buff plumage blends remarkably well with the pale desert soil it inhabits, making it a genuine challenge to spot even when present.

The species has a long, strongly downcurved black bill and dark eyes, with blackish undertail coverts, and a long tail that it often holds cocked upward as it runs, roadrunner-like, between patches of sparse desert scrub.

Key field marks

• Overall pale, sandy grayish-buff plumage, the palest of the thrashers
• Long, strongly downcurved black bill
• Dark eyes
• Blackish undertail coverts
• Long tail, often cocked; runs rather than flies when disturbed

Similar species

Crissal Thrasher and California Thrasher are both notably darker overall and occur in denser vegetation, while Le Conte's Thrasher is restricted to the sparsest, most open desert habitat and stands out for its pale, almost bleached coloration.

Habitat

Le Conte's Thrashers require very sparse, open desert scrub on sandy or gravelly flats, often with widely scattered creosote bush or saltbush and little other vegetation, avoiding denser scrub used by other thrashers.

Range

The species occurs in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of the southwestern United States, including parts of southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and extends into northwestern Mexico.

Migration

Le Conte's Thrashers are non-migratory residents, remaining within their desert territories year-round.

Behavior

Le Conte's Thrashers are notably shy and tend to run swiftly across open ground with the tail cocked rather than fly when disturbed, foraging by digging in soil for insects, other invertebrates, and occasionally small reptiles.

Voice

The song is a varied, musical series of phrases, often given from a low shrub or the ground, generally softer and less frequently heard than the songs of some other thrashers; the call includes a sharp, whistled note.

Nesting

Nests are built low in the densest available shrub, such as cholla or saltbush, constructed as a bulky cup, an important choice given the open, exposed nature of the surrounding habitat. Females lay 2-4 pale blue-green eggs.