0 the sage thrasher (oreoscoptes montanus) is a medium-sized passerine bird from the family mimidae , which also includes mockingbirds , tremblers and new world catbirds .
1  it is the only member of the genus oreoscoptes .
2  this seems less close to the caribbean thrashers , but rather to the mockingbirds instead (hunt et al .
3  2001, barber et al .
4  2004) .
5 o .
6  montanus are pale grey-brown on the upperparts and white on the underparts with dark streaks .
7  they have a slim straight relatively short bill , yellow eyes and a long tail , although not as long as that of other thrashers .
8 as its name suggests , this bird breeds in western north america , from southern canada to northern arizona and new mexico .
9  its breeding habitat is in areas with dense stands of sagebrush and rarely in other shrubby areas .
10  the female lays 4 or 5 eggs in a twiggy cup nest built in a low bush .
11  both parents incubate and feed the young birds .
12 in winter , these birds migrate to the southernmost united states and mexico , including the baja peninsula , north and south .
13 they mainly eat insects in summer; they also eat berries , especially in winter .
14  they usually search for insects on the ground in brushy locations .
15 the male bird sings a series of warbled notes to defend his nesting territory .
16 these birds have declined in some areas where sagebrush has been removed but are still common where suitable habitat remains .
17   the continued decline of sagebrush habitats in western north america is cause for alarm for this and other sagebrush dependent species .
