{"id":66616,"date":"2020-03-09T05:59:29","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T11:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=66616"},"modified":"2025-06-06T04:51:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T09:51:31","slug":"juvenile-immature-and-adult-sage-thrashers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/09\/juvenile-immature-and-adult-sage-thrashers\/","title":{"rendered":"Juvenile, Immature And Adult Sage Thrashers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JuvenileJuvenile Sage Thrasher on Antelope Island State Park – Nikon D200, f8, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday I was reminded that I saw an early first of year Sage Thrasher on Antelope Island State Park on March 8, 2016 so I know I need to start looking for the return of our “Mountain Mockingbirds” here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n

While the Sage Thrashers are in Utah I can see and photograph three different age related plumage phases.<\/p>\n

Juvenile Sage Thrashers are pretty fluffy looking shortly after leaving the nest. Their eyes are brownish, their chests lack the heavily streaked appearance of an adult and they have pronounced gapes as well as bills that are lighter in color when compared to the bills of adults.<\/p>\n

\"ImmatureImmature Sage Thrasher and blue sky – Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Weeks after hatching and before fall migration the immature Sage Thrashers look different than they did as juveniles.<\/p>\n

The eyes of immature Sage Thrashers look more yellow than brown, their gapes are less pronounced but still visible and their bills become darker tipped. The heavy streaks that they lacked on their breasts as juveniles have developed. Immature Sage Thrashers look much more like adults than they did as juveniles do soon after leaving their nests.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Sage Thrasher perched in golden light – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 800, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Adult Sage Thrashers have yellow eyes, spotted\/streaked breasts, gray-brown upper parts and their bills are dark towards the tip and their lower mandibles are lighter towards the base of the bill. The Sage Thrasher image above was taken towards the end of September and just before the thrashers migrate out of Utah.<\/p>\n

The comparisons I have made between juvenile, immature and adult Sage Thrashers are basic, there are more ways to determine their age but I wanted to keep the comparisons simple.<\/p>\n

In my post yesterday on Greater-Sage Grouse<\/span><\/a> I mentioned that the grouse are sagebrush obligates which means they depend on the sage to live. Sage Thrashers are also sagebrush obligates and any protections granted to the grouse also help to protect these thrashers and many other species that live in our sagebrush seas for all or part of their lives.<\/p>\n

Listen to the song of a Sage Thrasher here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

As soon as I can I will be out looking for the Sage Thrashers to return to northern Utah.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Sage Thrasher photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The comparisons I have made between juvenile, immature and adult Sage Thrashers are basic, there are more ways to determine their age but I wanted to keep the comparisons simple.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":147816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,1148,1022,103,26],"tags":[4004,9228,2069,6767,4254,4067,4071,821,6391,4164,4104,5330,6768,4921,4003,4613,735,4193],"class_list":["post-66616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-davis-county-utah","category-sage-thrashers","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-age-comparisons","tag-blue-sky","tag-fragrant-sumac","tag-golden-light","tag-immature","tag-juvenile","tag-mimids-2","tag-mountain-mockingbirds","tag-oreoscoptes-montanus","tag-perched","tag-plumage-phase","tag-rhus-aromatica","tag-rock","tag-sage-thrasher","tag-thrasher","tag-thrashers","tag-young"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-5075.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-hks","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":459,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/08\/23\/sage-thrashers\/","url_meta":{"origin":66616,"position":0},"title":"Sage Thrashers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 23, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Sage Thrashers are from the Mimid family. They forage mainly on the ground for insects, though they do eat berries at times.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sage Thrasher juvenile on a rock, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-5100.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14794,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/20\/sage-thrashers-mockingbirds-of-the-sagebrush\/","url_meta":{"origin":66616,"position":1},"title":"Sage Thrashers – Mockingbirds of the Sagebrush","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent some time yesterday on Antelope Island State Park photographing and listening to a very cooperative and melodious Sage Thrasher.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Singing Sage Thrasher in low light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-singing-low-light-mia-mcpherson-5350.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94260,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/30\/our-sage-thrashers-will-migrate-soon\/","url_meta":{"origin":66616,"position":2},"title":"Our Sage Thrashers Will Migrate Soon","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Sage Thrashers are only in Utah for their breeding season and by now all their chicks have fledged and are feeding on their own.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Back view of a Sage Thrasher in early morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/sage-thrasher-back-view-mia-mcpherson-2564.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100621,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/13\/looking-for-my-first-of-year-sage-thrasher\/","url_meta":{"origin":66616,"position":3},"title":"Looking For My First Of Year Sage Thrasher","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"March 13th is an anniversary of sorts for me. The date is the earliest that I have seen and photographed a Sage Thrasher in northern Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fluffy Sage Thrasher adult warming up on a rock, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/sage-thrasher-adult-on-rock-mia-mcpherson-0248.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Arrive","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 9, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I can barely wait to see my first Sage Thrasher of the year warming up on a rock in front of the Great Salt Lake, scurrying along on the ground, perched on top of sage or rabbitbrush singing or displaying.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Early Sage Thrasher warming up on a rock in front of the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, 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