Birds in Nature - images of wild birds by Richard Ditch

Subject: Bendire's Thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei)
Place: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Date: May 2003
Equipment: Nikon N90S, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (= 600/5.6), tripod
Film: Fujichrome Sensia 100
Exposure: aperture priority matrix metered
Scan: Minolta Dimage, 80% of frame

Commentary: We are fortunate to get Bendire's Thrasher occasionally in our backyard, and it is always fun to separate them from the much more common Curve-billed Thrashers.

Bendire's prefer more arid habitat than Curve-billed Thrashers. Compared to the Curve-billed, Bendire's has a smaller straighter bill with a pale base to the lower mandible, and more distinct arrowhead shaped spots on the breast.

Although slightly smaller than the Curve-billed, the Bendire's is a lot more aggressive, and always wins out in any confrontation over meal worms.

A friend who is involved in banding believes that this is a brooding female because of the way the feathers separate on the breast.