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Home/Species/ Bendire's Thrasher

Toxostoma bendirei

(Coues, 1873)

Bendire's Thrasher

G4Apparently Secure Found in 32 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
VulnerableIUCN
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei). © Max Breshears; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Max Breshears; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei). © Andrew Spencer; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Andrew Spencer; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei). © Lindsay Story; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Lindsay Story; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei). © Carolyn Thiele; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Carolyn Thiele; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei). © Hanna Zhao; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Hanna Zhao; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei). © Andrew Newmark; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Andrew Newmark; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei). Photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Public Domain (U.S. Government Work), via ECOS.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, https://www.usa.gov/government-works
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105855
Element CodeABPBK06050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNVulnerable
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyMimidae
GenusToxostoma
Other Common Names
Bendire's thrasher (EN) Cuitlacoche Pico Corto (ES) Moqueur de Bendire (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Appears to constitute a superspecies with T. cinereum (Mayr and Short 1970), an assertion borne out by the phylogenetic analysis of Zink et al. (1999). Placed in Sturnidae in Sibley and Ahlquist (1984).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-10
Change Date2016-04-10
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: southeastern California (England and Laudenslayer 1989), southern Nevada, southern Utah, southern Colorado, and western and central New Mexico south to central Sonora (England and Laudenslayer 1993, AOU 1998). NON-BREEDING: southern Arizona and extreme southwestern New Mexico south through Sonora to northern Sinaloa; casual in California deserts and Central Valley (England and Laudenslayer 1993; AOU 1998; Laudenslayer, pers. comm.).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats are largely unknown. Clearing of desert scrub habitats and harvesting of large desert cacti such as various yucca species is detrimental where the natural habitat structure is removed. Brood parasitism is probably rare: one 1934 record of brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbird (MOLOTHRUS ATER); but no reports of brood parasitism in 34 nest records from the North American Nest Record Card Program (England and Laudenslayer 1993).
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Kaufman and Bowers (1990) for detailed information on identification.

Habitat

Uses a variety of desert habitats with fairly large shrubs or cacti and open ground, or open woodland with scattered shrubs and trees, between 0 and 550 meters elevation. Species composition of vegetation varies across range. Not found in dense vegetation such as riparian woodland, although it may use edges (England and Laudenslayer 1993). Avoids uninterrupted brushy cover and continuous grassland (Phillips et al. 1964). In north and at higher elevations, found in sagebrush (ARTEMISIA sp.) and scattered junipers (JUNIPERUS sp.). At lower elevations, occurs in desert grassland and shrubland with spiny shrubs or cacti, such as cholla (OPUNTIA sp.), Joshua tree (YUCCA BREVIFOLIA), Spanish bayonet (Y. SCHIDIGERA), palo verde (CERCIDIUM sp.), mesquite (PROSOPIS sp.), catclaw (ACACIA sp.), desert-thorn (LYCIUM sp.) or AGAVE (AOU 1983, England and Laudenslayer 1993).

In Mexico, occurs in arid to semiarid, open or semi-open country and grasslands, with scattered bushes, cacti, or hedges (Howell and Webb 1995). In southeastern Arizona, found in habitat dominated by creosote bush (LARREA TRIDENTATA) and clusters of cholla (Tomoff 1974). England and Laudenslayer (1993) observed that in southern New Mexico and southern Arizona, will breed in degraded desert grassland or desert scrub where there are shrubs but little grass. Also avoids the cholla that it favors further to north; possibly due to competition with Curve-billed Thrashers (TOXOSTOMA CURVIROSTRE). Sometimes also uses agricultural and urban areas where structure resembles natural habitat (Gilman 1915, Phillips et al. 1964, Rosenberg et al. 1991).

Nests in low tree, shrub, or cactus, usually about 1-1.5 meters (sometimes 0.5-3.5 meters) above ground. Nests typically in mesquite, cholla, juniper, Joshua tree and other yucca species, but occasionally also in catclaw, palo verde, hackberry (CELTIS sp.), willow (SALIX sp.), saltbush (ATRIPLEX sp.; England and Laudenslayer 1993).

Ecology

Emlen (1974) estimated density in undisturbed creosote-bush desert near Tucson at 0.2 birds per 40 hectares; species did not occur in comparative urban study site. Estimates from BBS report average relative abundance as 0.45 birds per 25-mile route in Arizona (15 routes); 0.80 birds per route in New Mexico (12 routes); 0.48 birds per route survey-wide (35 routes; Sauer et al. 1997).

No information is available on home range. Banding recoveries suggest year-long site fidelity in southern Arizona; wintering birds in coastal California returned to same location for 4 years (England and Laudenslayer 1993).

One record of competition with western kingbird (TYRANNUS VERTICALIS) for nest site (Gilman 1915).

Reproduction

Clutch size three to four, rarely five (Ehrlich et al. 1988, England and Laudenslayer 1993). May raise multiple broods (Gilman 1915, England and Laudenslayer 1993). No information on incubation or time to fledging.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferGrassland/herbaceousDesertCropland/hedgerow
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4B,NNRN
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS3Yes
Navajo NationS3BYes
CaliforniaS2Yes
NevadaS1BYes
New MexicoS3B,S3NYes
UtahS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentLarge - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasLarge - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsLarge - smallModerate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesPervasive - largeUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.2 - Problematic native species/diseasesPervasive - largeUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (32)
Arizona (21)
AreaForestAcres
Black CrossTonto National Forest5,966
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
New Mexico (9)
AreaForestAcres
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Goat SpringCibola National Forest5,755
Goat SpringCibola National Forest5,755
Scott MesaCibola National Forest39,515
Scott MesaCibola National Forest39,515
Scott MesaCibola National Forest39,515
Sierra Negra Rare II Study AreaCarson National Forest9,470
Sierra Negra Rare II Study AreaCarson National Forest9,470
References (42)
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