Cozumel Thrasher
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| Cozumel Thrasher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Toxostoma guttatum (Ridgway, 1885) |
The Cozumel Thrasher, Toxostoma guttatum, is a bird from the mockingbird family (Mimidae), which is endemic to the island of Cozumel off the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. It is believed to be the most critically endangered species of bird in Mexico - if it indeed still exists, which is probable but not certain.[1]
This bird has brown upperparts and white underparts with black streaks. It has a grey face, a long black bill with a downward curve and two white wing bars.
[edit] Decline and status
The numbers of this bird declined rapidly when Hurricane Gilbert hit this island on September 14, 1988. Until it was sighted in June 2004, this bird had last been seen in 1995, the same year that Hurricane Roxanne hit Cozumel on October 11, and it was widely believed to have become extinct.[1]
It is still unclear what damage the impact of Hurricanes Emily and Wilma in 2005 caused; it seems that the bird was not found anymore during a survey in December 2006[2]
The last - unconfirmed - sightings were in April 2006, where an apparent T. guttatum was sighted at the Cozumel Golf Club; in October and December 2007, thrashers were also seen but could not be reliably identified as T. guttatum. Relocation efforts continue; though at least a few birds seem to survive, the continuing existence of this species had not been verified as of January 2008.[3]
Some scientists believe that other factors must have contributed to the bird's decline, because the Cozumel Thrasher likely survived hurricanes for millennia[3]. Introduced species, especially predatory boa constrictors introduced to the island in 1971[citation needed] and now abundant[citation needed], may also have had a detrimental effect.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Toxostoma guttatum. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is critically endangered.
- Curry, Robert L. (2007): El cuitlacoche de cozumel - The endemic thrasher of Cozumel Island. Version of 2008-JAN-28. Retrieved 2008-FEB-12.
- Environment News Service (2004): The Cozumel Thrasher: One Bird Away From Extinction. Includes habitat photo. Version of 2004-JUL-09. Retrieved 2007-FEB-08.
- Surfbird News (2006): Recently Discovered Species Gain Protection. Version of 2006-DEC-28. Retrieved 2008-FEB-12.
[edit] External links
- BirdLife International: Cozumel Thrasher Species Factsheet. Retrieved 2007-FEB-08.
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