the migratory wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). The wood thrush differs in lacking wing bars, a shorter beak, and a different shape. Distribution and habitat The distribution of the thrasher is restricted to Isla Cozumel which is 45 km long and 20 km wide. The habitat preferences for the thrasher is thought to be in low and medium deciduous and semi-deciduous forests. It may have once been most abundant in forest edges adjacent to clearings. Behavior and ecology The thrasher is predominately terrestrial and elusive and as with all members of the genus Toxostoma, it may resort to running instead of flying when startled. Ornithologists Ludlow Griscom and Raymond A. Paynter, Jr. had noted its secretive behavior, but James Bond did not. The song is described as a rich varied warbling, slightly scratchy with little repetition. Bond described its alarm note being similar to the brown thrasher. 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. 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. Inquiry from the local population had suggested that the species would likely be encountered near the Mayan ruins of San Gervasio. 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. Some scientists believe that other factors must have contributed to the bird's decline, because the Cozumel thrasher likely survived hurricanes for millennia. Introduced species, including predatory boa constrictors—which were released on the island in 1971 and are now abundant—may also have had a detrimental effect. Footnotes References 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