The Ultimate Thrush page 3 of 3

Status: In spite of the physical difficulties in studying this bird, biologists have managed to gather enough data on the breeding grounds to make Bicknell's a number one conservation priority in the US and Canada. In Canada, the species is listed by COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) as a "Species of Special Concern". Partners in Flight, a cooperative initiative involving government, industry and conservation organizations, lists Bicknell's Thrush as a species of highest continental importance and in need of immediate conservation action. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature(IUCN) ranks it as "vulnerable".

The patchy distribution of the Bicknell's Thrush predisposes the species to risk of local or widespread extinction. Inhabiting "sky islands", isolated coastal forests and regenerating second-growth forest, Bicknell's long-term future is threatened by the documented decline of red spruce due to acid rain and cloudwater pollution. Mounting pressures from four-season ski resort development, telecommunications tower construction, wind power development, hiking and mountain biking also pose potential threats to the long-term viability of these forests and the species associated with them.

On the wintering grounds, which is known to be primarily the Dominican Republic with smaller numbers in Haiti, Peurto Rico and Cuba, the species faces an uncertain future. Habitat loss has been severe in some areas and trends do not appear to be subsiding.