Thrushes and Chats: Turdidae

Many species of thrushes are plentiful and show no signs of becoming extinct (dying out). Certain others continue to be studied, particularly the song thrush in Britain, due to a serious decline in their numbers in the decades at the end of the twentieth century. The decline involves the problems of survival of the young chicks, as well as the ability for some birds to produce a second brood. Some habitats have been compromised through extensive farming, and in Britain through development. No such apparent threat existed in the rest of Europe, where the numbers remained high in the early years of the twenty-first century. Some species have been on the brink of extinction due to the introduction of predators, or change of habitat. In the Seychelles (islands off of Africa in the Indian Ocean), for instance, coconut plantations have replaced the natural forest habitat of the magpie-robin, and the introduction of such predators as cats and rats brought danger to the bird populations. Some recovery was made possible through the very intense efforts of conservationists.