Common Name: Principe Thrush
Scientific Name: Turdus xanthorhynchus

Distribution: Endemic to the island of Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea, where it is found in the mature forest in the southern part of the island.

Biology: The Principe Thrush is a secretive forest bird, that inhabits the little visited forest in the national park of the small island of Principe. It is a species that forages in the lower strata of the forest, looking for invertebrates in the leaf litter. The species is very tame, exhibiting a high degree of island tameness shared with other endemics of the country. It is mainly found at higher altitudes, from 100 to 800 m. above sea level.

IUCN Conservation Status: Critically Endangered

The Principe Thrush is the worlds rarest species of thrush, with an estimated population size of, at most, 250 individuals. Like other species of the country the main threat to the species is habitat destruction and poaching. Despite protection by the law, the species is still taken on occasion by parrot hunters (made easy by its unusual tameness), and with such a small population each individual shot is a loss for the tiny population. Furthermore, the species has lost much of its habitat to agricultural expansion, but it is apparently also absent from habitat that otherwise seem suitable. The lack of information of the species lifestyle further complicates the development of an adequate conservation plan.