Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 9.4–11 in
24–28 cm - Weight
- 1.9–2.7 oz
55–76 g
Other Names
- Moqueur de Le Conte (French)
- Cuitlacoche pálido, Cuitlacoche de Le Conte (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Water may be present in the desert habitat of the Le Conte's Thrasher for only a few days each year, and even then the bird rarely drinks it. It gets its water from the insect food it eats.
Habitat
Scrub
Desert scrub, mesquite, tall riparian brush and, locally, chaparral.
Food
Insects
Insects and spiders, some seeds and berries.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–5 eggs
- Egg Description
- Bluish green, with variable amount of dark markings.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless.
Nest Description
Open cup of twigs, lined with finer materials. Placed in thick, dense, and thorny desert shrubs or cholla cactus.
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Ground Forager
Forages on ground, digs pits to find arthropods.
Conservation
Least Concern
In some parts of its range, the Le Conte's Thrasher has lost extensive habitat to development. Irrigated lawns, groves, and fields are not compatible with its need for desert vegetation.
Credits
- Sheppard, J. M. 1996. Le Conte's Thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei). In The Birds of North America, No. 230 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.