Justification of Red List category
This species is listed as Near Threatened because it occurs in a moderately small range and its population size as well as the area and quality of habitat are in decline.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as locally common (del Hoyo et al. 2005).
Trend justification
The only threat known for Fawn-breasted Thrush is forest clearance. A remote-sensing study found that forest loss within its range over the last three generations was potentially 2.2% (Tracewski et al. 2016); thus the species may have declined by <10% over the last three generations.
Zoothera machiki is restricted to the Tanimbar Islands (Yamdena and Larat only) in the Banda Sea, Indonesia. Previously known from just three specimens, in the past 15 years the species has been found to be locally common.
The species inhabits forest and scrub. It shows a preference for primary forest, but occasionally uses secondary scrub, and sometimes concentrates in recently burned areas. It forages on the ground, but it is not shy and can be seen in the morning along tracks and watercourses.
Logging in the south of Yamdena has continued apace since 1992 and is presumably causing a decline in the population of this species.
Conservation Actions Underway
None are known.
Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Hermes, C., Bird, J., Khwaja, N.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Fawn-breasted Thrush Zoothera machiki. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/fawn-breasted-thrush-zoothera-machiki on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.