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The Sage Thrasher is a very rare bird in Canada; annual populations are likely between 7 and 36 breeding birds (COSEWIC 2010j). Because of its rarity, it cannot be monitored with broad scale surveys. Occasional direct counts of breeding birds indicate a fluctuating but essentially unchanging population in Canada. The Sage Thrasher was assessed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada as Endangered in 1992 and reassessed as such in 2000 and 2010, because of its small population size and the continuing threat of habitat loss (COSEWIC 2010j). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The Sage Thrasher is restricted to large tracts of sagebrush habitat during the breeding season (Reynolds et al. 1999). Fire or other management actions that eliminate this shrub cover can eliminate Sage Thrasher populations (Reynolds et al. 1999). Residential and agricultural developments have resulted in some habitat loss in British Columbia (Reynolds et al. 1999, COSEWIC 2010j). In Canada, this species breeds regularly only in southern British Columbia (COSEWIC 2010j), where the population is closely linked to the population in Washington State. At least half of the suitable habitat has been lost in Washington, mostly to agriculture (Reynolds et al. 1999). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view available recovery documents, see the SARA Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.