10 thoughts on “Yemen Thrush (Turdus menachensis): Revise global status?”
I have sent this consultation to Nadim Taleb and Omar Al-Saghier in Yemen as they may be able to provide helpful comments.
I am quoted above as making the following comment: ‘The species is also unlikely to be targeted for food due to its conspicuous nature (R Porter in litt.2017). I haven’t checked what I actually said, but I think this should be INCONSPICUOUS.
That aside I am aware that the killing of birds for food has greatly increased in Yemen in the last few years due to the humanitarian crisis and I would suspect that any bird is targeted that will provide a meal (such as a thrush). Look how thrushes have been targeted as a delicacy in France.
I have heard from Omar Al-Saghier who will have an important contribution for Yemen, but he is not able to make contact at present. If he is unable to let me know and I will pass on.
Thank you to give us opportunity to comment on this species. I believe the species is decreasing as it experiencing severe decrease in their habitats. Studies on the only endemic species in Saudi Arabia (Asir Magpie), which use the same habitat of the showed that the species lost 80% of of it habitat (Boland & Burwell 2020) “https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2020.1833471”. Although the species can be found in farms and garden, but it most breeding was in Juniper trees, which already known that juniper is dieback especially those lower that 1800m of altitude. This dieback was a results from different reasons, among them is the climate change. Also the increase of baboons population along the species range have a big effect on the breeding population of this species and other endemic species in the south west highland as they feed on the eggs of these species. The population estimation as 10,000 breeding pair, I believe is over estimated and also based on more that 2 or 3 decade and data published more than decade (Jennings 2010) and not presenting the actual population. The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) is going to start a project to evaluate the status of the endemic species in the south west of Saudi Arabia.
In conclusion I believe the species is declining and should be up listing not down listing.
I have moved in September 2021 to Southwest Saudi Arabia, in Al Soudah, near Abha, more or less in the center of distribution of Arabian endemism. Mohammed Shobrak invited me to have a look at this review of the status of the Yemen Thrush.
I do not have any quantified data to argue on the status of the species, but I would like to share few remarks:
– around Abha, along the escarpment at higher elevation (>2700m), Yemen Thrush appears relatively common in patches of suitable habitats. However these suitable habitats are very patchy, and occupy a small percentage of the overall higher elevation habitats
– higher elevations have experienced important development in the last 2 decades (I noticed important changes since my last visit in that area 20 years ago) and continue to be developed, new roads are build down of the escarpments, urbanization spread everywhere in a diffuse way
– plateau Juniper forests, one of the main habitat of the Yemen Thrush have been degraded in the past decades, and are still subject to high human disturbance, particularly during the main tourist season (mid-June to mid-September), which overlap with the Thrush breeding season. Thousands of tourists visit higher elevation and camp / or make barbecue in forested areas.
– The Juniper forest is also suffering from important die-off, possibly linked to climate changes. Most older trees are dead or dying, and regeneration very slow, which might decrease habitat quality, and potentially affect Yemen Thrush
– At lower elevation (in a belt between roughly 2000 and 2500m), native vegetation, including juniper forests are invaded and progressively replaced by the invasive Opuntia (Prickly Pears), profoundly changing the habitat and its suitability for native species
– Native populations of Hamadryas Baboons have substantially increased in the last few decades, benefitting from easier access to food (people feeding them, and open landfills), and becoming a pest. Although I don’t have evidence, I suspect these very important populations of baboons can have negative impacts on populations of native breeding birds by destroying nests, eating eggs…(potentially all endemic species, including Yemen Thrush)
– in a small valley near Al Soudah (locally known as Soudah waterfall), Yemen Thrush appears abundant, often counting 15-20 individuals over 500m. However, I noticed there one individual with a deformed bill (elongated and crossed), and another one completely blind, which suggested me potential exposure to chemical pollutants
Although I do not have quantitative or really substantial information to provide on population trends, these few remarks highlight the multiple threats to which Yemen Thrush is exposed.
I would suggest to keep the Yemen Thrush in the Near Threatened category , and to not downgrade it to Least Concern.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 21 February 2022. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’s Red List status on this page on 21 February 2022, when discussions will re-open.
Based on available information, it is now recognised that the species may be undergoing a continued population decline, primarily due to loss off its key Juniper forests, as well as urbanisation throughout its range, hunting, and increases in natural predators. However, given its adaptability to a variety of habitats, the rate of decline is not considered to exceed 20% over three generations. Thus, using a revised population estimate of 6,000-24,000 mature individuals, our preliminary proposal for the 2022.1 Red List would be to retain the Yemen Thrush’s current listing as Near Threatened, approaching the threshold for listing as threatened under Criterion C2a(ii).
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 27 February 2022, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I had hoped that Omar Al Saghier would have been able to add a comment. In a recent email to me he expressed concern that in Yemen (where he lives) many Acacia trees were being cut down for fuel as the price for gas/oil was impacting on the cost of living. I will email Omar again so he has a chance to comment directly.
From my own experience in Yemen, with over 20 trips from 1979 to 2011, I have always associated Yemen Thrush with Acacia. In Acacia woodland is where you will find the highest densities. We should be wary of giving the impression that it can easily adapt to other habitats – at least as far as my experience in Yemen is concerned.
And, as i said previously, given the crisis in Yemen and the cost of meat a fat Yemen Thrush is a tasty and cheap option.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 7 March 2022.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed, but the account for this species has been updated to incorporate additional information from this discussion. Yemen Thrush is recommended to be listed as Near Threatened, approaching the threshold for listing as threatened under Criterion C2a(ii).
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2022.1 GTB Forum process. The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I have sent this consultation to Nadim Taleb and Omar Al-Saghier in Yemen as they may be able to provide helpful comments.
I am quoted above as making the following comment: ‘The species is also unlikely to be targeted for food due to its conspicuous nature (R Porter in litt.2017). I haven’t checked what I actually said, but I think this should be INCONSPICUOUS.
That aside I am aware that the killing of birds for food has greatly increased in Yemen in the last few years due to the humanitarian crisis and I would suspect that any bird is targeted that will provide a meal (such as a thrush). Look how thrushes have been targeted as a delicacy in France.
I have heard from Omar Al-Saghier who will have an important contribution for Yemen, but he is not able to make contact at present. If he is unable to let me know and I will pass on.
Thank you to give us opportunity to comment on this species. I believe the species is decreasing as it experiencing severe decrease in their habitats. Studies on the only endemic species in Saudi Arabia (Asir Magpie), which use the same habitat of the showed that the species lost 80% of of it habitat (Boland & Burwell 2020) “https://doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2020.1833471”. Although the species can be found in farms and garden, but it most breeding was in Juniper trees, which already known that juniper is dieback especially those lower that 1800m of altitude. This dieback was a results from different reasons, among them is the climate change. Also the increase of baboons population along the species range have a big effect on the breeding population of this species and other endemic species in the south west highland as they feed on the eggs of these species. The population estimation as 10,000 breeding pair, I believe is over estimated and also based on more that 2 or 3 decade and data published more than decade (Jennings 2010) and not presenting the actual population. The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) is going to start a project to evaluate the status of the endemic species in the south west of Saudi Arabia.
In conclusion I believe the species is declining and should be up listing not down listing.
I have moved in September 2021 to Southwest Saudi Arabia, in Al Soudah, near Abha, more or less in the center of distribution of Arabian endemism. Mohammed Shobrak invited me to have a look at this review of the status of the Yemen Thrush.
I do not have any quantified data to argue on the status of the species, but I would like to share few remarks:
– around Abha, along the escarpment at higher elevation (>2700m), Yemen Thrush appears relatively common in patches of suitable habitats. However these suitable habitats are very patchy, and occupy a small percentage of the overall higher elevation habitats
– higher elevations have experienced important development in the last 2 decades (I noticed important changes since my last visit in that area 20 years ago) and continue to be developed, new roads are build down of the escarpments, urbanization spread everywhere in a diffuse way
– plateau Juniper forests, one of the main habitat of the Yemen Thrush have been degraded in the past decades, and are still subject to high human disturbance, particularly during the main tourist season (mid-June to mid-September), which overlap with the Thrush breeding season. Thousands of tourists visit higher elevation and camp / or make barbecue in forested areas.
– The Juniper forest is also suffering from important die-off, possibly linked to climate changes. Most older trees are dead or dying, and regeneration very slow, which might decrease habitat quality, and potentially affect Yemen Thrush
– At lower elevation (in a belt between roughly 2000 and 2500m), native vegetation, including juniper forests are invaded and progressively replaced by the invasive Opuntia (Prickly Pears), profoundly changing the habitat and its suitability for native species
– Native populations of Hamadryas Baboons have substantially increased in the last few decades, benefitting from easier access to food (people feeding them, and open landfills), and becoming a pest. Although I don’t have evidence, I suspect these very important populations of baboons can have negative impacts on populations of native breeding birds by destroying nests, eating eggs…(potentially all endemic species, including Yemen Thrush)
– in a small valley near Al Soudah (locally known as Soudah waterfall), Yemen Thrush appears abundant, often counting 15-20 individuals over 500m. However, I noticed there one individual with a deformed bill (elongated and crossed), and another one completely blind, which suggested me potential exposure to chemical pollutants
Although I do not have quantitative or really substantial information to provide on population trends, these few remarks highlight the multiple threats to which Yemen Thrush is exposed.
I would suggest to keep the Yemen Thrush in the Near Threatened category , and to not downgrade it to Least Concern.
The species is on the Songbirds in Trade Database (SiTDB) watchlist but no current or recent live bird trade events have been recorded.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 21 February 2022. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’s Red List status on this page on 21 February 2022, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
Based on available information, it is now recognised that the species may be undergoing a continued population decline, primarily due to loss off its key Juniper forests, as well as urbanisation throughout its range, hunting, and increases in natural predators. However, given its adaptability to a variety of habitats, the rate of decline is not considered to exceed 20% over three generations. Thus, using a revised population estimate of 6,000-24,000 mature individuals, our preliminary proposal for the 2022.1 Red List would be to retain the Yemen Thrush’s current listing as Near Threatened, approaching the threshold for listing as threatened under Criterion C2a(ii).
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 27 February 2022, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
I had hoped that Omar Al Saghier would have been able to add a comment. In a recent email to me he expressed concern that in Yemen (where he lives) many Acacia trees were being cut down for fuel as the price for gas/oil was impacting on the cost of living. I will email Omar again so he has a chance to comment directly.
From my own experience in Yemen, with over 20 trips from 1979 to 2011, I have always associated Yemen Thrush with Acacia. In Acacia woodland is where you will find the highest densities. We should be wary of giving the impression that it can easily adapt to other habitats – at least as far as my experience in Yemen is concerned.
And, as i said previously, given the crisis in Yemen and the cost of meat a fat Yemen Thrush is a tasty and cheap option.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested by so many people in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 7 March 2022.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed, but the account for this species has been updated to incorporate additional information from this discussion. Yemen Thrush is recommended to be listed as Near Threatened, approaching the threshold for listing as threatened under Criterion C2a(ii).
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2022.1 GTB Forum process. The final 2022.1 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in July 2022, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.