Yes, but we need to qualify what’s meant by “identify.” Depending on the model, it’s perfectly possible that a thermal monocular will show you a warm body at that distance. In fact, we’ve seen one that had a range of up to 9 miles! However, it can be difficult to tell just what the item is. As the range increases, the clarity decreases. With cheaper scopes, things beyond a couple of;hundred yards are likely to be little more than hot blobs! One manufacturer put it well by saying that its model will pick up a “person-sized object” at 2,000 yards. It doesn’t say that you’ll be able to recognize whether it’s a person, a bear, or a hot water tank!