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Home/Species/ LeConte's Thrasher

Toxostoma lecontei

Lawrence, 1851

LeConte's Thrasher

G4Apparently Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
LeContes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). © Kyle Klotz; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Kyle Klotz; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
LeContes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). © Sharif Uddin; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Sharif Uddin; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
LeContes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). © Henry Witsken; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Henry Witsken; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
LeContes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). © Brian Sullivan; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Brian Sullivan; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
LeContes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). © Ishaan Lalbhai; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Ishaan Lalbhai; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
LeContes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). © Jason Hall; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library.
© Jason Hall; Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
LeContes Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). 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.2.103738
Element CodeABPBK06100
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyMimidae
GenusToxostoma
Other Common Names
Cuitlacoche Pálido (ES) Le Conte's Thrasher (EN) LeConte's thrasher (EN) Moqueur de Le Conte (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
Formerly known as Le Conte's Thrasher, updated by AOU (2017). Zink et al. (1997) examined patterns of mtDNA and colorimetric variation and concluded that T. lecontei arenicola (Rosalia Thrasher) of west-central Baja California should be treated as a distinct species (T. arenicola ) (see AOU 1998); they also recommended that T. l. macmillanorum of the San Joaquin Valley, California, not be recognized as a valid taxon. This species was placed in the family Sturnidae by Sibley and Ahlquist (1984). For a discussion of the phylogeny of the genus Toxostoma using morphometric, allozyme, and mitochondrial DNA evidence, see Zink et al. (1999).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-09-01
Change Date2008-12-31
Edition Date2023-08-02
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G., and J. M Sheppard (2008); rev. R. L. Gundy (2023)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Rank Reasons
This species occurs in a limited area in the southwestern United States, parts of Baja California, and northwestern Mexico. It is declining rangewide from habitat loss due to agriculture, suburban development, oil and gas development, and overgrazing. Population size is estimated to less than 200,000 birds rangewide.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs from eastern California to extreme southwestern Utah, USA and south through Arizona into Sonora and eastern Baja California, Mexico (Sheppard 2020). There is also an isolated population along the Pacific side of central Baja California (Sheppard 2020). The range extent includes the San Joaquin Valley, Great Basin Desert, Mojave Desert, and Sonoran Desert (Sheppard 2020). Large areas within this range are unoccupied. Elevational range is from -81 meters in Death Valley to 1,600 meters, mostly 0-1,150 meters (Sheppard 1996). This species is non-migratory (Sheppard 2020).
Occurrences Comments
There are many occurrences throughout its range (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, Sheppard 2020).
Threat Impact Comments
Habitat has been lost to agriculture and urbanization, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, near Los Angeles, Coachella, and Imperial valleys, Las Vegas area, and near Phoenix (Sheppard 2020). Currently, the only regionally threatened population is the one in the San Joaquin Valley of eastern California. Degradation, fragmentation, and loss of habitat to agriculture, irrigation, urbanization, oil and gas development, fire (removes required shrub cover), and overgrazing by sheep or cattle are the primary reasons for the decline of the San Joaquin Valley population (Sheppard 2020). Fragile habitat is easily altered by vehicular (ATV, etc.) traffic. Pesticide use in the past may have negatively affected reproduction in some areas (Sheppard 1996). Illegal shooting may kill some birds near urban areas (Sheppard 1996).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A pale thrasher with dark eyes, mainly sandy gray with a darker tail and tawny undertail coverts; dark bill is long and decurved; average length 28 cm (NGS 1983).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Differs from other thrashers in having much paler plumage and/or eyes that are dark rather than pale.

Habitat

Habitat consists of sparsely vegetated desert flats, dunes, alluvial fans, or gently rolling hills having high proportion of one or more species of saltbush or shadscale (Atriplex spp.) and/or cylindrical cholla cactus (Opuntia spp.) 0.9-1.9 meters high (Sheppard 1996). Other desert habitats with similar structural profiles but lacking saltbush/shadscale or cholla cactus also are used (Sheppard 19960. This species rarely occurs in habitats consisting entirely of creosotebush (Larrea) (Sheppard 1996). Majority of shrubs rarely exceed 2.5 meters in height, except for isolated desert trees, yuccas (Yucca spp.), or tall, thin shrubs (e.g., ocotillo [Fouquieria]) (Sheppard 1996). Accumulated leaf litter under most plants are important as diurnal cover for most arthropod prey (Sheppard 1996). Surface water rarely exists anywhere within several kilometers of most territories except temporarily following infrequent rains (Sheppard 1996). Nests usually are in shaded locations in thick, dense, and thorny desert shrubs or small trees or cholla cactus, sometimes in artificial sites, up to 3.5 meters above ground (mean around 0.8 meters) (Harrison 1978, Sheppard 1996).

Ecology

Home ranges in saltbush-cholla scrub averaged 40 hectares. Breeding territories were considerably smaller, averaging 6 hectares; defended most actively from early December to early February (Sheppard 1970).

Occupied habitat generally has at least 0.25 pairs per sq km, with most areas having not more than 2-5 pairs per sq km (see Sheppard 1996).

Reproduction

Eggs are laid February-June. Both sexes incubate 3, sometimes 2-4, eggs. Young are tended by both adults.
Terrestrial Habitats
Desert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaS3Yes
ArizonaS3Yes
NevadaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted - smallModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasRestricted - smallModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsRestricted - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningRestricted - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
3.1 - Oil & gas drillingRestricted - smallUnknownHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useNegligible (<1%)Negligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.1 - Hunting & collecting terrestrial animalsNegligible (<1%)Negligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5.1.3 - Persecution/controlNegligible (<1%)Negligible or <1% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (7)
California (7)
AreaForestAcres
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
PaiuteInyo National Forest58,712
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
References (34)
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