Misplaced Pages

New Caledonian island thrush
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Turdidae
Genus:	Turdus
Species:	T. xanthopus
Binomial name
Turdus xanthopus Forster, 1844

The New Caledonian island thrush, (Turdus xanthopus) is a species of passerine bird in the thrush family Turdidae. It is endemic to New Caledonia, it was thought extinct until it was discovered on the islands of Néba and Yandé in 1978. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the island thrush until 2024 when the island thrush was split into 17 species by the IOC and Clements checklist.

Taxonomy

The New Caledonian island thrush was first described in 1894 as Turdus xanthopus by German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster. It was later classified as a subspecies of the island thrush under the name T. p. xanthopus. Following a 2023 phylogenetic study of the island thrush subspecies, as well as with consideration to morphological differences, the island thrush was split into 17 species. The New Caledonian island-thrush is monotypic.

Description

The New Caledonian island thrush is a medium-sized bird with very little sexual dimorphism, with females weighing slightly more than males. Adults are brown overall, with a dark crown and back and a slightly rufous belly. It has a yellow bill and eye-ring and brownish-yellow legs. The fledgling plumage is said to resemble the adults but with a blackish bill and faintly spotted underparts.

Behaviour

The New Caledonian island thrush is known to forage both on the ground and in trees, with its diet being mainly composed of invertebrates and fruit. Invertebrates are found through discarding leaf litter on the ground using its bill, while fruit are usually plucked from trees and swallowed whole. Large fruit seeds are regurgitated. Its nest is woven and basket-shaped.

Distribution and habitat

The New Caledonian island thrush used to have a large distribution in New Caledonia on Grande Terre, where it was mainly found in dry forests, particularly on the west coast of the island. The last confirmed sighting of the bird on Grande Terre was in 1928 and it was considered extinct until being rediscovered on the islands of Yandé and Néba in 1978. Both islands are small with Yandé being around 13 square kilometres (5.0 sq mi) in size, and Néba being 3.5 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi). The New Caledonian island thrush has been found to prefer coastal forests.

Conservation

Due to being considered a subspecies prior to 2024, the New Caledonian island thrush has not been evaluated by the IUCN yet. But due to its small current distribution and significant loss of historical range, formerly being found on Grande Terre before being extirpated, along with its small population size and vulnerability, it is very likely to be endangered. Following its rediscovery on Yandé, the population was estimated to be around 100 individuals, however in 2009 only 60 individuals were recorded in a census. A census on the island of Néba from 2015 to 2016 had an estimate of less than 75 individuals. Current threats also include the degradation of its preferred habitat, as well as the risk of Black rat or New Caledonian crow being introduced to the islands, additionally both Pacific rat and feral cats are found on both islands. In 2019 the estimated suitable habitat on the islands was 153 hectares (380 acres) on Yandé, and 42.7 hectares (106 acres) on Néba.

References

1. ^ Villard, Pascal; Duval, Thomas; Papineau, Christian; Cassan, Jean-Jérôme; Fuchs, Jérôme (2019). "Notes on the biology of the threatened Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus xanthopus in New Caledonia". Bird Conservation International. 29: 616–626. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
2. "2024 Taxonomy Update—COMING SOON". eBird. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
3. "Proposed Splits/Lumps". IOC World Bird List v14.2. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
4. Reeve, Andrew Hart; Gower, Graham; Pujolar, José Martín; Smith, Brian Tilston (January 2023). "Population genomics of the island thrush elucidates one of earth's great archipelagic radiations". Evolution Letters. 7 (1). Retrieved 20 October 2024.
5. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Thrushes". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 September 2024.

External links

• Data related to Turdus xanthopus at Wikispecies

v t e Genera of passerines and their extinct allies
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Clade: Psittacopasseres Order: Passeriformes
Passeriformes incertae sedis †Corvitalusoides †Jamna †Winnicavis †Yunnanus Acanthisitti Acanthisittidae Acanthisitta †Dendroscansor †Kuiornis †Pachyplichas †Traversia Xenicus Eupasseres Tyranni †Crosnoornis †Wieslochia Eurylaimides Calyptomenidae Calyptomena Smithornis Eurylaimidae Corydon Cymbirhynchus Eurylaimus Psarisomus Pseudocalyptomena Sarcophanops Serilophus Philepittidae Neodrepanis Philepitta Pittidae Erythropitta Hydrornis Pitta Sapayoidae Sapayoa Tyrannides See below ↓ Passeri See below ↓
Tyrannides Conopophagidae Cephalopterus Conopophaga Pittasoma Cotingidae Ampelioides Ampelion Carpodectes Carpornis Conioptilon Cotinga Doliornis Gymnoderus Haematoderus Lipaugus Querula Perissocephalus Phibalura Phoenicircus Phytotoma Pipreola Porphyrolaema Procnias Pyroderus Rupicola Snowornis Xipholena Zaratornis Formicariidae Chamaeza Formicarius Furnariidae Berlepschia †Pseudoseisuropsis Sclerurinae Geositta Sclerurus Dendrocolaptinae Dendrocolaptini Campylorhamphus Dendrexetastes Dendrocolaptes Dendroplex Drymornis Drymotoxeres Glyphorynchus Hylexetastes Lepidocolaptes Nasica Xiphocolaptes Xiphorhynchus Sittasomini Certhiasomus Dendrocincla Deconychura Sittasomus Furnariinae Xenops Pygarrhichini Microxenops Ochetorhynchus Pygarrhichas Furnariini Cinclodes Furnarius Geocerthia Limnornis Lochmias Phleocryptes Premnornis Pseudocolaptes Tarphonomus Upucerthia Philydorini Anabacerthia Anabazenops Ancistrops Automolus Cichlocolaptes Clibanornis Dendroma Heliobletus Megaxenops Philydor Syndactyla Thripadectes Synallaxini Acrobatornis Anumbius Aphrastura Asthenes Certhiaxis Coryphistera Cranioleuca Hellmayrea Leptasthenura Limnoctites Margarornis Mazaria Metopothrix Phacellodomus Premnoplex Pseudasthenes Pseudoseisura Roraimia Schoeniophylax Siptornis Spartonoica Sylviorthorhynchus Synallaxis Thripophaga Xenerpestes Grallariidae Cryptopezus Grallaria Grallaricula Hylopezus Myrmothera Melanopareiidae Melanopareia Pipridae Ceratopipra Chiroxiphia Chloropipo Corapipo Cryptopipo Heterocercus Ilicura Lepidothrix Machaeropterus Manacus Masius Neopelma Pipra Pseudopipra Tyranneutes Xenopipo Rhinocryptidae Acropternis Eleoscytalopus Eugralla Liosceles Merulaxis Myornis Psilorhamphus Pteroptochos Rhinocrypta Scelorchilus Scytalopus Teledromas Thamnophilidae Euchrepomidinae Euchrepomis Myrmornithinae Myrmornis Pygiptila Thamnistes Thamnophilinae Formicivorini Formicivora Myrmochanes Myrmotherula Terenura Microrhopiini Ammonastes Aprositornis Clytoctantes Epinecrophylla Microrhopias Myrmophylax Myrmorchilus Neoctantes Pithyini Cercomacra Cercomacroides Drymophila Gymnopithys Hypocnemis Oneillornis Phaenostictus Phlegopsis Pithys Rhegmatorhina Sciaphylax Willisornis Pyriglenini Akletos Ampelornis Gymnocichla Hafferia Hylophylax Hypocnemoides Myrmeciza Myrmelastes Myrmoborus Myrmoderus Percnostola Poliocrania Pyriglena Rhopornis Sclateria Sipia Thamnophilini Batara Biatas Cymbilaimus Dichrozona Dysithamnus Frederickena Herpsilochmus Hypoedaleus Isleria Mackenziaena Megastictus Radinopsyche Rhopias Sakesphoroides Sakesphorus Taraba Thamnomanes Thamnophilus Xenornis Tityridae Iodopleura Laniisoma Laniocera Myiobius Onychorhynchus Oxyruncus Pachyramphus Schiffornis Terenotriccus Tityra Xenopsaris Tyrannidae Agriornis Alectrurus Anairetes Aphanotriccus Arundinicola Atalotriccus Attila Calyptura Camptostoma Capsiempis Casiornis Cnemarchus Cnemotriccus Cnipodectes Colonia Colorhamphus Conopias Contopus Corythopis Culicivora Elaenia Empidonax Empidonomus Euscarthmus Fluvicola Griseotyrannus Gubernetes Guyramemua Hemitriccus Heteroxolmis Hirundinea Hymenops Inezia Knipolegus Lathrotriccus Legatus Lessonia Leptopogon Lophotriccus Machetornis Mecocerculus Megarynchus Mionectes Mitrephanes Muscigralla Muscipipra Muscisaxicola Myiarchus Myiodynastes Myiopagis Myiophobus Myiornis Myiotheretes Myiotriccus Myiozetetes Nengetus Neopipo Neoxolmis Nephelomyias Nesotriccus Ochthoeca Ochthornis Oncostoma Ornithion Phelpsia Philohydor Phyllomyias Phylloscartes Piprites Pitangus Platyrinchus Poecilotriccus Pogonotriccus Polystictus Pseudelaenia Pseudocolopteryx Pseudotriccus Pyrocephalus Pyrope Pyrrhomyias Ramphotrigon Rhynchocyclus Rhytipterna Satrapa Sayornis Serpophaga Silvicultrix Sirystes Stigmatura Sublegatus Suiriri Syrtidicola Tachuris Taeniotriccus Todirostrum Tolmomyias Tumbezia Tyrannopsis Tyrannulus Tyrannus Uromyias Xenotriccus Xolmis Zimmerius
Passeri †Resoviaornis Acanthizidae Acanthiza Acanthornis Aethomyias Aphelocephala Calamanthus Gerygone Hylacola Neosericornis Oreoscopus Origma Pachycare Pycnoptilus Pyrrholaemus Sericornis Smicrornis Atrichornithidae Atrichornis Callaeidae Callaeas †Heteralocha Philesturnus Climacteridae Climacteris Cormobates Cnemophilidae Cnemophilus Loboparadisea Dasyornithidae Dasyornis Maluridae Amytornithinae Amytornis Malurinae Malurini Chenorhamphus Clytomyias Malurus Sipodotus Stipiturini Stipiturus Melanocharitidae Melanocharis Oedistoma Rhamphocharis Toxorhamphus Meliphagidae Acanthagenys Acanthorhynchus Anthochaera Anthornis Ashbyia Bolemoreus Caligavis Certhionyx Cissomela Conopophila Entomyzon Epthianura Foulehaio Gavicalis Gliciphila Glycichaera Glycifohia Grantiella Guadalcanaria Gymnomyza Lichenostomus Lichmera Macgregoria Manorina Meliarchus Melidectes Melilestes Melionyx Meliphacator Meliphaga Melipotes Melithreptus Melitograis Microptilotis Myza Myzomela Nesoptilotis Oreornis Plectorhyncha Philemon Phylidonyris Ptiloprora Ptilotula Prosthemadera Purnella Pycnopygius Ramsayornis Stomiopera Stresemannia Sugomel Territornis Timeliopsis Trichodere Vosea Xanthotis Menuridae Menura Notiomystidae Notiomystis Orthonychidae Orthonyx †Palaeoscinidae Palaeoscinis Pardalotidae Pardalotus Pomatostomidae Garritornis Pomatostomus Ptilonorhynchidae Ailuroedus Amblyornis Archboldia Chlamydera Prionodura Ptilonorhynchus Scenopoeetes †Sericuloides Sericulus Corvides See Corvides Passerida See Passerida

• Thrushes
• Endemic birds of New Caledonia
• Birds described in 1844